Bitter Cold
by DorkieYorkie202
Summary: When Team Natsu is sent on a Special Request Job on Mt. Hokabe, the unlikely team will be lead through various tricks and illusions to finish this. With the dark guild Void Amulet hanging all around them, will they get out?/ Hi! First fanfic, and I really hope you like it! Read and Review if you like it! Rated T for language and violence.
1. Chapter 1: Separation

Running. That's all that was on her mind at this point. She couldn't even look back to try and throw some magic at who was chasing her. She had to stop, so she doubled back, in the trees. She paused for a brief moment, catching her breath. She glanced to her left and saw a beautiful town, one that the village had called Magnolia.

She glanced back at her pursuers, which had figured out that she had doubled back. But she heard someone in the distance. She heard a scream. They were in trouble. Something inside her told her to go to them, but she couldn't at first. In the end, she ran towards the scream.

As she was running, her pursuers had found her. They surrounded her and closed in. She wouldn't make it to save whoever had screamed out… She had failed. Again.

* * *

A few hours earlier

Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Happy, and Carle were on a job together. It wasn't necessarily a big job, but more of needing each other's talents. Part of the job was deciphering some riddles that were on the job request, the others given to them from the feast they had been given. Of course, Natsu, Erza, and Gray were there for any opponents that proved too much for others. The exceeds were following their partners as usual, and Wendy was there to help however she could. She had gotten much stronger with the Grand Magic Games and with the brief training from before that.

It didn't take long for Lucy to figure out the riddles, which didn't even correlate to the job. It was just a joke. At least, that's what they thought. All of the riddles had pointed out to a small girl, lost, afraid, powerful. They threw it aside like it was nothing. What idiots.

Somehow, the team had been separated. An ice wall had appeared between them, and neither side could get through, not even with Natsu's fire. Wendy and Lucy had ended up on one side with Carle, the rest on the other side. Lucy had slumped down against the wall, not in anger or fear, but disappointment. She knew she wasn't the strongest member of the team, but she just wanted to show her stuff to the other group. She had to redeem herself from the games.

"Lucy, is everything alright?" Wendy saw the disappointed look on her face.

Lucy hesitated to answer. She knew her plan was silly and stupid, so she nodded and plastered a fake smile onto her lips. "Yeah, everything's fine now. I was just thinking,"

"Alright. Maybe we should stay here. The ice wall seems to go on forever when you look to the side. It's too high for Carle to fly us over too. Her transformation would wear out,"

Lucy thought for a moment. "No, we should continue on. They can handle themselves, and so can we," She gave another smile to the blue haired girl.

So, that's what they did. They continued forth, to who knows where.

* * *

"Natsu! Look out!" Erza yelled towards the fire mage, requiping into her Black Wing Armour. She raced over to Natsu, blocking the strike from a huge snow giant. Gray had turned in time to look at it and gape. Natsu too, but jumped out of Erza's way after she blocked its' hit for him, "Dimwit! Be more careful next time!"

"Yes ma'am!" Natsu sweat dropped. That was the last time he worried about a stupid ice wall. He glanced back at it however. His grin showing up on his face. Be careful, Luce. I know you'll be fine.

Natsu jumped into the battle, throwing fire attack after fire attack at the gathering snow giants. Gray had caught up with himself as well and started pounding at the giants.

* * *

"Lucy, are we lost?"

"Of course not! I know what I'm doing!"

"Then why have we gone in circles?"

"Fine, Carle. We're lost. Happy?"

"Very. I was right,"

Lucy clenched her fists, not seeing any reasons, except for Wendy, to hold back against this exceed. She was almost as bad as a certain blue ball of fur.

"Lucy, what did the job request ask us to do exactly? Erza never actually told me," Wendy was playing with her hands, and was focused on the ground beneath them.

Lucy let out a long sigh, "Erza said something about a dark guild being up here, and they were causing trouble to a few villages. Erza and I went to meet with the village elder. He said that they were around here, but there was a force other than just them that was very powerful," She paused for a moment, her mind going back to the riddles.

Wendy seemed to read her mind as they both stopped, "Well, the riddles were talking about a girl that was afraid, and lost, but we thought it was just a joke. Lucy, do you think-"

"That whatever the riddles are speaking of is the powerful force? Yeah, anyone with a brain could put two and two together like that, when they think about it at least," she grinned down at Wendy. "If we come across the dark guild, we need to do everything we can to take it down. We don't have the others to rely on, okay?"

Wendy nodded and gave Lucy a determined look. They smiled at each other before continuing on. It wouldn't be long before they reached the dark guild's base, even if they had no idea where they were.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Thank you so much more reading! I will be updating on (hopefully) Tuesdays and Fridays! I really appreciate you taking the time to read this story and would just like to say this: I am terrible at writing with a deadline. Which is why I already have this story written and will be able to just read them through and then post.  
_

 _I'll let you go on your merry little way! See you later my Galactic Chicks!_


	2. Chapter 2: Void Amulet

Erza, Natsu, Gray and Happy all stood over the snow giants, panting. For big things of snow, they sure were hard to deal with.

"Jeez, Gray, when are you gonna learn to make things like these? We could use these on our side," Natsu stood smirking at the ice make mage.

"Because, idiot, I can't make living things with my magic. These were obviously a living ice make magic, like Lyon's," Gray scoffed at his childhood friend's name.

"What did you just call me, Underpants!?"

"I just called you idiot, idiot!"

"You wanna go, Droopy Eyes?!"

"I sure do, Squinty Eyes!"

"Pervert!"

"Pinky!"

"Boys!" Erza's voice rang through their argument, causing them to cringe and hug each other in fear.

"Sorry Erza!" They said in unison, still afraid of the terrifying requip mage, who finally requipped back into her Heart Kreuz Armor. She glared at the boys, but soon donned a serious expression. "We need to find Wendy and Lucy. For all we know, they could be fighting the same things."

"Yeah, that's easier said than done, Erza," Gray walked over to the ice wall and kicked it, "Still have this monstrosity to deal with. And there isn't a way to power through it and still have our magic energy with us."

"That's what you say, Underpants!" Natsu screamed as he rammed his forehead into the huge ice wall. It cracked, much to Erza's and Gray's surprise.

"It cracked!?" The redhead and black haired mages both screamed in unison. Apparently, their pink haired friend had a hard head. They both sweat dropped as he rammed into it again, but quickly regained their posture to try and hold him back.

"What are you guys doing!? I need to make sure that Lucy's okay!" Natsu strained against their grip, not wanting a repeat of the games. "And Wendy too!" As an after thought.

Erza was the first to speak to him, hitting his head to make him calm down, "Calm down Natsu! Lucy and Wendy will be fine! Lucy has a whole army of spirits behind her, and Wendy's there too. What we need to do right now is try and make it to the base of the dark guild," Erza helped Natsu to his feet.

"Erza's right, flamehead. Worrying will just mess you up. You gotta keep your head clear, just in case we get another attack like that. Lucy'll be fine," Gray grabbed Natsu's shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"Fine, but we better hurry. I don't want Lucy away from us for too long," Natsu huffed as he shrugged off Gray's hand. Erza and Gray nodded, following the side of the ice wall. They didn't glance back at Natsu, but knew something inside him was wrong. He had let up so easily. Had something happened that they weren't aware of? They both made a mental note to ask him about it later on. Instead, for the time being, the trio walked along the ice wall, Natsu staying silent most of the time.

* * *

Lucy and Wendy were still in the middle of the mountain forest. The cold was starting to get to them, but they kept on. Lucy was starting to get nervous, but hid her feelings very well from the small girl beside her. She called Horologium out of his gate for Wendy to warm up for a bit, not wanting the girl to get sick.

" 'Lucy, do you think we are getting closer?' asks your small blue haired friend," Horologium narrated for Wendy, turning slightly so Wendy could get a response. She was shivering even inside the clock constellation.

"I hope so, I mean, there isn't too much ground left to cover, is there?" As Lucy stated this, Horologium gave his one minute warning for Wendy, who reluctantly stepped out into the cold, rather than getting her butt full of snow when he went back to the spirit world.

"Thank you, Horologium. I really appreciate the brief warmth," She bowed to the spirit, who waved as he disappeared with a popping noise. "I hope so too. I don't know how much more cold I can take," Wendy stood back up and caught up to Carle, who had flown ahead of the group on accident. "See anything yet, Carle?"

"I'm afraid not. There hasn't been any other noises, but I do believe we are getting closer. I just hope the others are okay," Carle glanced down at Wendy, seeing the small smile on her face disappear. She flew down and landed in Wendy's arms.

"Wendy…?" Lucy had seen the rapid movement of Wendy's head.

"Lucy… I think it's-" Wendy was interrupted by many arrows that appeared to be made out of iron come flying towards her. She ducked, but one had stuck itself into her arm, "Ah!"

"Wendy! Are you alright!?" Lucy ran over to Wendy, trying to shield her from any other arrows that might come. They didn't come. At least, the arrows didn't. But a person did. A girl with silver hair and piercings all over- she had a ton on her ears, one or two on her nose, and one on her lip- walked out into the light. She smirked, looking down at the younger girl taking the arrow out of her arm, and Lucy glaring up at her.

"Who are you!?" Lucy said defiantly as she stood up, putting herself in between Wendy and the girl.

"The name's Melody. I am a proud member of my guild, Void Amulet," She turned to the side, showing her mark, an amulet that had a swirl of chain around it. It was the color of Gajeel's iron, but it stood out from her outfit. She was wearing tight black leggings that went to her mid-calf, and a tight fitted dark blue sleeveless shirt. She had black combat boots on, meaning she was ready for a fight.

"That's the dark guild that's been harassing the villages!" Lucy exclaimed, taking a step back. This would be a tough fight.

"So, you aren't just here for your looks. You do have a brain in that pretty body of yours," Melody looked at Lucy, a sadistic grin coming onto her face.

She's even creepier than Juvia. Lucy sweat dropped and bit back a snarky remark, but recovered quickly. She gripped her whip at one side and her other hand brushed her keys, ready for a battle. She was about to show this girl that she was much more than just looks.

"Why are you getting in a battle stance? It isn't even necessary. I'm gonna kick your sorry ass anyway," She glanced behind Lucy to see Wendy, and her sadistic expression only grew as she spotted the perfect subject. She was so young, so innocent. Perfect.

"Like hell I'll give up to someone like you! Open! Gate of the archer! Sagittarius!" The noise of a doorbell rang through the air, and Lucy's spirit stood next to her, saluting the air.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_** _Thanks again for sticking with this one! I wrote it a little while ago, so it may not be very good in the beginning, but I do promise it get's better! Anyway, I get that it isn't a Tuesday or Friday, but yesterday's felt a little... Short for my taste... So here you go!_

 _I hope you liked it and want to stick with this story for a little longer! Thank you to those who reviewed and took the time out of your day to do so!_

 _Anyway, I'll let you waddle on your merry way! See ya'll on Tuesday!_


	3. Chapter 3: The Valley

"Alright, I need you to help me out here, Sagittarius!" Lucy pointed towards Melody, who just giggled.

"You really think your spirits stand any chance against me?" She put both hands to the side, magic circles appearing under both, before she flew her hands forward towards Lucy and her spirit. "Iron Make: Lance!"

Sagittarius shot arrows at each of the lances, causing them to go off course or shatter. However, one got past and struck him in the chest. He stumbled back, but raised his bow back up to aim more arrows at Melody. He released letting them close in on her, but she only let out a small smirk.

"Iron Make: Wall." She flicked her left wrist up, a wall of iron not far behind it. She smirked as the arrows simply bounced off the wall, falling to the ground. She broke the wall back down, only to be met by the end of Lucy's whip. "Wha-! Hey!" Melody's wrist was grabbed by her whip and Lucy pulled as hard as she could, bringing Melody closer.

Lucy pulled her in and socked her right in the cheek, with a very powerful blow. Melody stumbled back, trying to regain her composure before Lucy came in again. She didn't, though, as Lucy came in again, sideswiping at her legs, trying to down her.

 _I'll remember to thank Yukino for the extra training. This really does come in handy._ Lucy thought to herself as the battle continued on. She hadn't succeeded in downing Melody, so she gained some distance between the two. It didn't look like Melody was very good at hand-to-hand combat.

"Iron Make: Iron Blades!" Melody had many iron swords appear at her sides. She looked at the blonde girl facing her. Then to the bluenette on the ground, just watching in shock. She smirked. She threw her hands forward, the swords following her movements. They headed straight for Sagittarius and Lucy. They came at such a fast pace too. The impaled the spirit, making him disappear, and they skimmed Lucy as she attempted to dodge. She still found herself hit by several of the swords, her stomach was cut open now, along with several cuts on her legs and arms.

"I'm not done just because of some stupid swords!" She grabbed at her keys again, but was stopped by a tight grip on her wrist.

"Iron Make: Whip," Melody smirked as she used Lucy's own tactic against her. She brought Lucy in close, kneeing her in her stomach and punching her into the ground. Lucy screamed and coughed up blood, but shakily stood up. "Iron Make: Iron Bat!" As she gained back her footing, she was met by a sharp pain on the side of her head and body, eventually having her fall to the ground, limp.

"Lucy! No!" Wendy rushed forward, but an Iron Make: Sword was pointed right over Lucy's still form.

"If you know what's right for the both of you, you won't fight. Or else, this pretty blonde loses her best feature, got it?" Melody positioned the sword over Lucy's neck, indicating her best feature as her life. Wendy had tears come to her eyes. Natsu would rush into the fight to save Lucy, but she wasn't nearly as strong as Natsu. She looked at Lucy's form, and back up to Melody.

"If you think I'm gonna stop fighting because my friend's life, no, my family's life is at stake, then you have another thing coming!" Wendy lunged forward, catching Melody off guard. Her sword came down on Lucy's figure, but was stopped by Wendy just in time. Wendy pushed Melody back from Lucy, bringing her fist behind her head. "Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!" Wendy brought her arm down onto Melody, right at her stomach. She lefts marks that were lined across her body, and they bled heavily.

"How did- What?!- How?!" Melody hadn't the slightest clue this girl could actually fight! Let alone being a Dragon Slayer! Melody clenched her fists, but stood up. "Now I can get serious!" She brought both hands to her chest. "Iron Make: Armor!" Her chest was now covered in armor, along with a lot of her arms and legs. Wendy jumped back, preparing herself for a tough battle.

"Elemental resistances rise! Deus Corona!" A blue magic circle appeared under Wendy, her defense immediately increasing. She stared at Melody, who was readying her next attack.

"Iron Make: Chains!" Chains spread from the magic circle towards Wendy at an alarming rate.

"Fast Wind That Run the Heaven… VERNIER!" Her speed was increased, and she easily dodged the incoming chains. She landed back on the ground after a small roll and ran at Melody in a zigzag pattern, trying to throw her off. It worked. "Power of the stout arms that tear the heavens… ARMS!" Wendy's physical attack power grew, and she jumped high into the air. "Sky Dragon's Claw!" She swung her leg down onto Melody, who smirked and brought up an iron wall, blocking her attack.

"You can't get rid of the beautiful Melody that quickly! Iron Make: Arrow!" She shot arrows all around Wendy, but she was able to quickly dodge, thanks to her enhanced speed. She rushed at Melody again with another Sky Dragon's Wing Attack, but it was blocked.

Wendy stood a few feet from Melody. She was panting, trying to catch her breath. She had to end this soon. She wouldn't be able to keep up much longer. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing on her surroundings. Melody only smirked and ran towards the girl.

"Iron Make-" She was cut off by Wendy snapping her eyes open and saying her own spell.

"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art! Shattering Light: Sky Drill!" A swirl of wind appeared around Melody, encasing her in the wind. Her body was torn at by the strong winds, and she screamed.

"Did I… do it?" Wendy looked into her vortex of wind, hoping that nothing showed up. Melody stood in the wind as it cleared, a smug look on her face.

"I'll give it to ya, you're strong. Too bad, I was thinking that woulda done me in. Well, looks like I have to bring home some friends," She smirked as she saw Wendy collapse to the ground, too exhausted to move anymore. Her eyes fluttered closed as Melody drew closer.

 _I'm sorry… Lucy, Carle, Natsu, Erza, Gray… I wasn't strong enough…_

* * *

"Natsu, is everything alright?" Natsu had been quiet this entire time. He hadn't said anything, not even about his stomach when it rumbled. Erza had finally spoke up about it, making sure he was okay.

"What? Uh, yeah," Natsu didn't meet her eyes when she glanced back. Gray was much farther up, trying to find an opening or something.

Still, Erza didn't believe him, so she stopped him and took him by the shoulders. "Natsu, everything's not alright. I haven't seen you this quiet since… since we thought Lisanna had died. Did something happen?"

Natsu didn't answer. He didn't look her in the eye. He shouldn't be the one to tell anyone; that was up to Lucy. She had been the one hold herself as she died. Finally, he spoke, "Yeah, something happened. But I can't say anything about it… not right now at least…" He still had yet to look Erza in the eye. From above, Happy glanced down at Natsu, already knowing his reason for being this quiet. He swooped down and landed on Natsu's head, trying to comfort him.

"Erza, it was really hard for both him and Lucy. I'm sure we can tell you after the job," Happy gave Erza a sad grin, which told her that it wasn't the time to talk about this. She nodded and apologized before turning back to Gray and seeing his progress. Natsu followed behind them, still mostly silent.

"Erza, I think I found it," Gray's voice was calm, but you could sense the hint of fear in the air. Natsu perked up and ran to Gray and Erza, gasping at the sight.

It was a large valley. Inside, were many people, all milling about. There were many guard dogs, fires, tents. There was a large building in the center of it all, most likely where the master was. Natsu narrowed his eyes and started to catch different smells… and some familiar ones. He couldn't see them anywhere yet, but he could smell Lucy and Wendy.

"Lucy and Wendy are already here," He kept searching for them, still coming up with nothing.

"Are you sure?" Erza glanced out among the crowd, not seeing them yet either. Gray followed suit looking for them.

Natsu pointed to his nose, his eyes not leaving the valley, "My nose doesn't lie. And it says Lucy and Wendy are in this valley,"

* * *

She couldn't believe she let herself get caught. Again. This would have been one of her last chances to escape, and it had been going so well. Until that scream. She just had to go to the scream. She didn't care anymore. Her teal-white hair fell over her eyes as she hugged her knees to her chest, trying to conceal the tears that were coming.

There was a loud creak of a door, and the silver haired girl walked in. She had another guard following behind with an unconscious blond girl. The side of her face was beaten up and purple, and her side and stomach… The teal haired girl looked away, not wanting to see more. They threw the girl into the cell across from her, sneering at both girls before leaving.

The girl stared at the newcomer, but another scent came to her nose. It was another girl, one she hadn't smelled before. She wasn't coming in here though, which could only mean… She stopped herself from thinking about it, turning away and into the corner of the dank cell.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** Here's another chapter for you! This story has just been sitting in my drive, so it has a lot of plot holes and everything, but I think everything is fixed. _

_Please do enjoy it! Leave a Review or whatever feels right to you!_

 _Anyway! I'll let you ride on your merry way! See ya Friday!_


	4. Chapter 4: Glacia

It wasn't long after Lucy had been dumped in the cell that she woke up. Her entire side ached from the pain that shot through it. That iron bat hurt! She groaned as she looked around and sat up, trying to do so without hurting herself.

She was in a musty cell. Mildew and mold was forming everywhere. Gross. She glanced past the cell and looked at a girl sitting across from her. She was staring at Lucy, tears in her eyes.

"Ah!" Lucy jumped from the gaze of the girl across from her. The girl immediately shrunk, as if Lucy's scream had hurt her ears.

"Hey! Do you have to be so loud? Jeez, I want to see what the other one would have acted like…" The girl tossed her teal-white hair. Her amethyst eyes sparkled in the torchlight of the cell room. She looked away, seeing the growing horror in the blonde's face.

"Wait, what other one? Do you mean-" Lucy looked around, not seeing Wendy anywhere. She started to panic. She shakily stood up, going to the edge of the cell. "Wendy!? Where is she!?"

The girl only stared at Lucy, before standing up to her full height. Lucy glanced at her, taking in the pure size of the girl. She had teal-white hair that fell to her mid-back, maybe even a little further down. She had a small teal dress with teardrop patterns that went to her mid thigh. The dress left her back wide open, whereas the front covered up to her neck. She had black leggings on that resembled what Melody had been wearing before. She wasn't wearing any shoes. Lucy glanced back up to her face, seeing the tear stains in her amethyst eyes, and the soft look she had. It immediately calmed Lucy down, although her entire body shook with fear for her friend.

"Do you know where we are, exactly?" Lucy looked back at the girl, suspicion creeping into her voice as she awaited an answer.

"We are in the valley on top of Mt. Hakobe. This valley was once home to many dragons that lived here. They were called the Mountain Dragon Clan," The girl looked like she shrank away again. Like she was afraid of Lucy's reaction.

"I'm sorry, if I came off rude. My name is Lucy," Lucy gave a warm smile to the girl. All she did was loosen her tensed muscles as she crept closer to the edge of the cell.

"Glacia. You can all me Lacie. And you weren't rude. It's just that I never get to see anyone else anymore. Besides the people that put me here," She looked away again, her hair falling over her eyes.

Lucy thought for a moment. Something seemed off about the tension in the air. This girl was a prisoner, like her, but this wasn't a prison, or at least, it didn't feel like a prison. And not seeing many people? Surely these people caught a lot of the villagers… where were they?

"Do you know why you don't see anyone?" Lucy had to find Wendy, and fast. A sinking feeling was already making its way into her core.

Lacie hesitated to answer, sure that Lucy wouldn't like the answer. But, she was interrupted by Melody coming back in, Wendy in her arms, still passed out. Lucy's eyes widened as she laid eyes on her.

"Wendy! What did you do to her!" Lucy was now defensive of her family. Melody wouldn't be getting away with this one.

"Relax, Buttercup. She attacked first. All I did was defend myself," She paused, letting out a sadistic grin and laugh to match it. "And then she passed out! In the middle of a fight! What a waste of my time!" She bent the bars with her iron make magic in the cell next to Lacie's and threw Wendy in. She went over to Lucy's and gave a little smirk.

"You won't get away with anything! Natsu, Erza, and Gray are gonna be here soon, and when they get here, you're gonna be sorry!" Lucy had walked up to the edge of the cell, much to the pleasure of Melody.

"I plan on it. You were no match for me, and neither was that pathetic impostor of a dragon slayer," That set Lucy off. She reached out beyond the cell and was able to grab Melody by the shirt, trying to bring her in close.

"You have made the wrong enemy. Fairy Tail doesn't take lightly to people who hurt their family," Lucy was thrown back by Melody's Iron Make: Lance. She tried to stop the scream from the impact, only managing to stifle it. Most of the lances had hit her side and chest, knocking the wind out of her. As she sat up, she wiped the blood off her face with the back of her hand.

"Don't make threats you can't keep. No one will find you here. No one has ever found this valley. Not without the map to it," With that, she walked out, slamming the door behind her. Lucy started to tear up. Not from her wounds, but from Wendy's state.

"Wendy…"

* * *

Natsu, Erza and Gray were coming up with a plan to get in the base. For once, Natsu wasn't suggesting that they storm in and destroy everything. They didn't know how Lucy and Wendy had gotten here. For all they knew, it could have been the dark guild capturing them.

Their plan consisted of slipping down the side of the valley and blending in, while following the scent of their friends. Natsu went first, then Gray, and last Erza. Natsu sniffed around, eventually catching a whiff of Lucy's honey and coconut smell, and Wendy's close by one of a crisp breeze before a storm. He motioned for the others to follow.

"Natsu, be careful where you point your nose. Someone might get suspicious," Erza whispered behind Gray and Natsu, making both mages jump just from the tension of her voice. The mighty Titania, unnerved by a dark guild in the mountains. Something else is going on.

"Got it, Erza. Sorry," They continued on, eventually coming across a cave opening. Natsu stopped, feeling the location of one of the scents to move. The smell of the fresh breeze started to fade, as if she were moving. Natsu's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, but let it slide for now. They entered the cave, only to find out it was actually a dungeon of some sort. Natsu moved quicker now, the others following behind.

"I don't like this. Not one bit," Natsu breathed out and followed the smells more intently now. There was another close to Lucy, and it had a familiar smell… like a dragon's…

"You have made the wrong enemy. Fairy Tail doesn't take lightly to people who hurt their family," Natsu could hear Lucy's voice not too far away. He almost ran forward, but he stopped, hearing a stifled scream just after, and the clanking of metal bars.

"Don't make threats you can't keep. No one will find you here. No one has ever found this valley. Not without the map to it," A second voice joined Lucy's scream. Natsu's fists clenched as he held himself back for now.

He took another sniff at the air, putting a hand over his nose. Blood. Lots of it. There was a loud door slam, loud enough for Erza and Gray to hear. Their eyes widened and they pulled Natsu back into a dead end hallway as the body of the second voice strutted down the hall past them, most likely going to tell of her progress.

"Where did she come from!?" Gray looked out into the hallway frantically, trying to get a good look at her.

"She was just with Lucy and Wendy, come on! They're just up here!" Natsu slid past Gray, running for the door and just about opened it. When he came to the door handle, he flung it open, and was met with… nothing. It was an empty room. No sign of Lucy or Wendy. The only thing left was their scents. And it was still in the same place. The empty room still had their scents, but otherwise there was nothing in the room.

"What!? Their scents are right here!" Natsu ran into the room, but the door shut just after him, leaving him in the dark. He lit his hand on fire to get a good look in the room.

"Well well, looks like I get the Dragon to myself. What luck," Natsu was met by a boot to the face. Natsu stumbled back, just barely catching himself before the room lit up, revealing a familiar face. Her hair fell over her shoulders as she reached down to grip her whip that hung loosely at her side.

"You took a long time, Natsu. I was starting to get worried you wouldn't save me."


	5. Chapter 5: Fire, Wind, and Shadow

"Natsu!" Erza and Gray were both taken by surprise as the door closed. They attempted to open it, but it wouldn't move.

"That idiot! Who knows what traps there are around here!? Of course he has to go and spring one!" Gray punched at the door once more, trying to prove his point. Erza growled behind him.

"He had good intentions. I'm going to go see if there are any other doors around that may lead us to Lucy and Wendy. Wait here," Erza instructed. Gray nodded, and leaned against the door. She padded down the hall. He punched at the door again, and the hall around him started to rumble.

"What the hell? Did I do that?" Gray looked around him, not seeing anyone for a moment.

"Of course it was, Gray-sama~" Gray spun around, but only to be met by a fist from a familiar face. She kicked him in the stomach while she was close before back flipping away. Her blue hair fell into her face before she pushed it out of her way. She smirked at him, bringing her hands up into a fighting position.

"Gray-sama~ I was so worried about you!"

* * *

Erza padded down the hall. For being inside a cave, there were a lot of doors. Doors that led to more empty halls, or empty rooms. Some led to other rooms that prisoners would be kept. Erza shuddered every time she encountered one of these rooms. There weren't any prisoners, but the air smelled of blood and sadness.

Erza had been through a lot of the rooms already. There was a large rumble, causing a poorly structure pillar to fall right next to her.

"I'm just going to hope that was Natsu or Gray…" Erza mumbled under her breath.

"Not a chance, Titania," Erza spun around to see a foot flying her way. She easily dodged, and grabbed the person's wrists, but her eyes widened. Another fist met her face as she hesitated. She stumbled back and looked at the figure again. He only smirked as her eyes seemed to widen even more. Tuffs of his blue hair fell over his right eye.

"Been awhile, hasn't it, Erza?"

* * *

Natsu looked at the figure before him. She only smirked. He took a step back, afraid. He didn't know what was going on.

"Lucy?" Natsu looked at Lucy. Her smell was the same, so this had to be her, but one look at her eyes and anyone could tell it wasn't. Her usual soft brown eyes were now a hard, sadistic brown as they looked over him.

"Of course it's me, Natsu! Why would you even doubt that?" Even her voice was different. This wasn't Lucy.

"Who are you!?" Natsu's fists engulfed themselves in flames as he charged forward. He threw a punch at the Lucy imposter, but stopped short as she made a pained expression on her face. He stopped, inches from her face, much to her pleasure. She smirked and socked him in the stomach. The power in her punch sent him flying into the wall that had once been doors.

"How could you forget about me? I thought we were best friends," Her voice seemed to shift back to her normal one, and the pout on her face only made her look more real. Natsu stood up and stared at her.

"You are not my Lucy. Now tell me where she is," Natsu looked on, seeing the imposter's expression change. It turned into a scowl.

"Nothing gets past you, huh dragon boy? Well, I guess that plan failed," She grinned again - one of the sadistic grins - and the room started to go dark again as she seemed to dissipate from the room entirely. Instead, in her place now stood the outline of a man. He had bright white hair, like Mira's. He still had his sadistic grin. He wore faded and ripped jeans and a white t-shirt under a loose leather jacket.

"Now that you've revealed yourself, let's get serious. Tell me where Lucy and Wendy are," Natsu's fists engulfed in flames again. He was starting to get pissed.

"Now now, You don't even know my name. I'm Luke of Void Amulet," He sidestepped a flaming fist that was coming at him. Natsu spun back to look at Luke, but was met by Luke's fist. He was thrown into the ground, creating somewhat of a crater.

"Tell me where they are! Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" He landed another flaming fist right in his stomach, causing Luke to stumble back in surprise. Luke scowled and put his hand in his fist.

"Wind Make: Spike Chain!" A huge chain made of wind came racing at Natsu, spikes lining the chain coils. His eyes widened as it neared, but he jumped out of the way. Only his leg had been damaged by the attack, but it was only a small bruise that was forming

"Alright, fine! Fire Dragon's Roar!" A vortex of fire shot at Luke.

"Wind Mak: Barrier!" A wind barrier formed around Luke, shielding himself from Natsu's attack. He let the barrier down, only to be met by an iron fist to the face. He groaned as he held his nose, but he readied another attack.

"Wind Make: Tornado!"

* * *

"Gray-sama~ I was so worried about you!" Juvia stood in front of Gray, a sadistic grin plastered onto her features. It would freak him out, but this was a somewhat normal thing from Juvia.

"Juvia, what are you doing here? And why did you kick me?" Gray still kept his guard up, but he stared at the squirming Juvia.

"I didn't know it was you, forgive me…" Juvia looked down. Her voice was somewhat off… and why would she mistake him for anyone? She was absolutely obsessed with him. But there was still something off about her. He had just noticed she wasn't speaking in third person.

"Juvia is everything alright? You're acting weird," Gray reached out to touch her, and his hand planted on her wrist. She didn't freak out, but she tensed. This wasn't Juvia.

"Y-Yes Gray-sama~! Everything is perfect!" She gave him a tense smile as he looked over her features. He frowned.

"You're not Juvia," He twisted Juvia's arm behind her and threw her to the ground, pinning her there. "Where's Lucy and Wendy. Tell me,"

"I don't know Gray-sama~! I haven't seen them since the guild!" She had a scared face, like she had no idea what was going on. Gray only twisted her arm even farther. Until she let out a shrill cry and disappeared.

"Wow, you figured that out quickly," From behind Gray, a boy appeared. His voice had somewhat of a comforting tone to it, but he still didn't lower his guard. The boy had fiery red hair that poked out everywhere, like Natsu's, but the boy's was a little more tame. He wore a light-weight winter jacket with fur around the hood. He had baggy jean style pants, and a red shirt under his jacket.

"Who are you? Where's Lucy and Wendy?" Gray edged closer to him, but stayed a safe distance away.

"My name is Flint. I am part of Void Amulet," He gave a slight bow, as if it was customary when he said that.

"Alright, that was one question. Now, where's Lucy and Wendy?" Gray brought his hand back into his palm, ready to fire any spell at him.

"Do you mean the two prisoners we just caught? Well, they're our prisoners. You'd have to join our guild to know that information," He smiled as he said this. Gray was starting to think this kid wasn't very serious in a battle.

"Well, if you're not going to tell me, then I'm gonna have to force it out of ya," Gray took a good look at this kid. He watched his body language as he moved into a position he knew all too well.

"I'd like to see you try, Gray Fullbuster. Fire Make: Violent Approach!"

.

.

.

"Been awhile, hasn't it, Erza?" He brushed his blue hair out of his eyes, looking directly at Erza. She stepped back, almost afraid of what she was seeing.

"I know you aren't Jellal. He wouldn't reveal himself like this. Your illusion magic won't work on me," Erza's artificial eye let her see through some of the illusion, causing her to not be easily tricked.

Jellal began to laugh in a deep tone, which quickly turned into a higher pitched voice. Jellal started to fade, leaving behind a tall and skinny girl. She had raven black hair and her white eyes seemed to pierce the very air in front of her. She wore faded black jeans, and white shirt under a dark colored cardigan. She smirked at Erza's face as she appeared.

"Nothing gets past you, does it, Titania? And before you ask your silly questions, I won't tell you where your friends are willingly. I am only here to stop you from reaching your friends," She didn't advance on Erza, but she kept a small smirk on her lips.

"Alright, that does save us that question," Erza flexed her hand, but didn't requip. She needed to know why they only had Lucy and Wendy. "You want to tell me who you are?"

"Well, that would be the polite thing, wouldn't it?" She took a small breath before continuing, "My name is Zylla. I am a member of Void Amulet, which consists of five members," She gave a small bow, but straightened quickly to focus her attention back on Erza.

Five members? That's it? How strong were they to be that small? "Well, Zylla, would you care to tell me why you need Lucy and Wendy?" Erza stood there calm, waiting for a response. Zylla only let out a fit of giggles, an amused grin creeping onto her sharp features.

"Oh Titania, has it ever been that easy getting information from your enemies?" Another giggle fit, but her expression became serious only moments after. "If it has, it won't be that easy for you with me,"

"Oh, I'm sure you will be on the floor when I get done with you," Erza requipped a sword into her hand, saving the armor for after she understands this girl's magic.

"You'll try! Shadow Make: Disks!"

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_** _Hallu! It's so great to see you guys again! Are you enjoying it so far?_

 _Since I have this story already written up, I haven't really read back to see... that my writing 2 years ago is nothing like my previous ones..._

 _And I am so sorry for that!_

 _I do try hard to make it understandable and not super cringe-worthy, but it isn't easy._

 _Anyway,_

 **Quick Update:** _I know that for a lot of people, Spring Break is coming up, and that means vacations, spending money, new places, and plenty of other things._

 _Well, my family decided to plan a week long vacation to the Sunshine Sate! Florida! Woohoo!  
_

 _But that also means that I might not upload on time... This Friday's update will be a day early and next weeks (If they even have a chance to come out) will come out whenever I can._

 _I apologize in advance._

 _Also, last chapter as I was re-reading, I came across an unintentional reference to my favorite movie ever and I absolutely love it. If you can find it, you will become my all time favorite person. If you're wondering what my favorite movie is, it's on my profile._

 _Anyway_

 _Happy (early) St. Patrick's Day! Be sure to wear Green!_

 _Read, Review, & Enjoy! See you guys Thursday!_


	6. Chapter 6: Ace

Lucy sat in the very back of her cell, still trying to recover from the attack from Melody. She still had tears in her eyes as she glanced over at Wendy again. The poor girl looked like she had been electrocuted, and other horrible things had been done. Her breathing was shallow and irregular. But as the silence grew hard to bare, her breathing became normal again.

Lacie looked back at Lucy and frowned. How could someone care this much for a person? Lucy noticed her looking and their eyes met.

"I'm sorry for staring… Could you tell me why you care so much about her?" Lacie looked over at the girl in the cell beside her. Wendy still had blood covering her stomach and arms, and her face looked to still be contorted in pain.

"What kind of question is that? Wendy and I are like family. In our guild, everyone is family. And seeing one of our own in a state like this… It just hurts," Lucy kept her eyes away from Wendy. She couldn't look at the poor girl without crying.

Lacie was surprised. A guild? Acting as family? She hadn't heard of something like this. "But what about blood ties? What about their blood families?" Lacie only got a small chuckle from Lucy. Lucy stood up, still wincing at the pain in her stomach area.

"Fairy Tail is our family. Blood ties don't matter. We are always there for each other," Lucy looked at Lacie, her chocolate brown eyes locking onto Lacie's amethyst ones. Lacie started to tear up. This is what she had been looking for since her only family had disappeared.

"Lucy, I want to help you get out of here. But, I have one question," Lacie stood up, her hair bouncing onto her chest, falling to her mid-back once again.

"What's your question?" Lucy looked over the girl. Now that she was standing, all of the different injuries on the girl made it look like she had been here for a long time. But those could be recent.

"Would it be possible… For me to come with you?" Lacie looked at her feet. She didn't think Lucy would let her come. They had just met. But she needed to ask.

Lucy looked shocked. Why would a girl like this, want to come with them? It must be for a reason she isn't comfortable to talk about. Lucy's shocked face quickly turned into one of happiness. A smile was spread across her blood-streaked face. "Of course! Maybe we can even help you join the guild!"

"R-Really? Join your guild?" It was Lacie's turn to be shocked. Lucy had actually accepted! She could have a family again…

"Of course! I can tell you would make a great teammate!" Lucy gave Lacie another smile that seemed to resemble Natsu's. Lacie smiled back.

"Okay! All we need to do is wait for Wendy to be better. We are gonna need all the magic power to escape from this place…"

Lucy nodded. She thought about something, and a realization came to her. If this girl had been here long, maybe she knew what was going on with Wendy.

"Well, until then, do you know why these people want Wendy?" Lucy and Lacie both sat back down.

"It's a long story, but I guess we have time," Lacie took a deep breath, and looked over at Wendy before she turned to Lucy.

"I've been here for about three months now. This valley used to be my home. I lived here with my dr-, my family. My family disappeared a long time ago, and I was left here by myself. Three months ago, this dark guild showed up looking for a power that was rumored to be in these mountains. The only problem is, you need a dragon slayer to obtain it,"

She stopped for a moment. She didn't know how Lucy would react if she told her about her magic. She decided to leave it out.

"I don't know why they've kept me here, but with Wendy being a dragon slayer, I think they're looking to see if she's even able to obtain this power for them," A lump formed in her throat. She desperately tried to hold back her tears. Even though they only knew each other for about half a day now, she couldn't bare to see anything bad happen to Wendy and Lucy.

"In order for them to keep this magic that she would get, they would… kill her…"

* * *

"Wind Make: Tornado!" Luke threw both hands forward, the wind he manipulated moving in a spiral, creating a small tornado that engulfed Natsu. When the tornado died down, Natsu flew into another wall, a large crack resounding off the wall. However, Natsu stood up, cracking his knuckles, and wiping the blood off his mouth. He smirked, looking straight at Luke with his intense, hard gaze.

"You just pissed off the wrong Dragon," Natsu ducked down, avoiding a ranged wind punch that came from Luke. He smirked again, and ran at Luke at a high speed, setting his entire body on fire. "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"

"Ack!" Luke was pushed back. The pure speed of Natsu's attack didn't give him a chance to evade. His hand flew to his stomach like it would fall off from Natsu's attack. "Wind Make: Javelin!"

A large spear appeared right in front of Natsu, hitting him in the stomach. He had stopped some of it with his hands, blocking most of the attack. However, he wasn't ready for the following attack. "Wind Make: Barrier!" Natsu stood up, waiting for another attack to come, but there was nothing.

"Uh, I don't know if you noticed, but that didn't do anything," Natsu stared at the smirking face of Luke.

"Oh, it did nothing, huh?"

* * *

"Fire Make: Violent Approach!" A huge ball of fire was hurled at Gray, the ball quickly becoming spiked as it came closer to him.

"Ice Make: Shield!" He brought his hands up, creating an ice shield in front of him. The fire attack came onto his shield, immediately melting the ice shield, and the fire going out. It created a smokescreen.

"Ice Make: Lance!" Many lances were thrown out of the smokescreen, flying towards Flint. He held up his hand, creating a wall of fire that melted the lances with ease. He smirked, bringing his hand back into his palm.

"I am the perfect match for you! Fire always wins against ice!" Gray sweat dropped. He was another Natsu… so full of himself. Gray groaned, bringing his hand back into his palm as well.

"You're just like another flamehead I know. But there's still one difference," Gray threw his hands forward at the same time as Flint, both mages using the same spell with their respective elements.

"And what difference would that be?" Flint had a smirk on his face, his guard brought down, but only because he still had an ace up his sleeve.

"Your flames aren't nearly as hot as Natsu's," Gray watched as the smirk on the the boy's face vanished. It became a look of pure hatred.

"If that's what you think, you have another thing coming! Fire Make: Blazing Room!" The room around Gray and Flint lit on fire, making Gray instantly hot. He was sweating, and he even had to use his magic continuously to keep himself cool enough to fight.

"Ice Make: Cold Excalibur!" The sword formed in his hands for a few moments, before completely melting in his hands. He looked at his hands for a moment, before creating it again, only to find the same results.

"Is everything alright? I thought you said my flames weren't as hot as your friend's?" Flint's smirk reappeared on his face as he gazed at Gray's burning body still trying to fight the intense heat.

* * *

"Shadow Make: Disks!" Different disks made of shadows flew at Erza, cutting the redhead on the cheek, otherwise she was unharmed. Erza had a serious expression on her face. Shadows… It just had to be shadows. Erza requipped into her Black Wing Armor.

"Shadow Make: Wings!" She gained her own set of shadow wings that came from her back. They resembled Erza's Wings from her armor. Zylla launched at Erza, her fist coming back into her hand for an attack. "Shadow Make: Lance!" Many shadow lances flew towards Erza at an amazing speed, catching the requip mage off guard.

Erza did a barrel roll in the air to avoid the attacks. When she recovered, Zylla was coming at her again, but she threw her attack first. She brought out her Black Wing Sword and slashed at Zylla, who just barely managed to dodge.

Zylla made her wings disappear, seeing as they had taken damage from the mighty Titania. "You always know just where to strike. Well, so do I,"

She rushed forward, coming straight for Erza's stomach, which she prepared to block. But, that's just what Zylla wanted. She created several shadow clones, all going for the same place, her chest. Erza didn't have enough time to react to the speed of her attack.

Erza was thrown halfway across the hall, into a pillar, which crumbled under the force of her. It collapsed on top of her, causing more of the cave to shake. A lot of rock fell from the ceiling.

"Get up Titania! You're friends are waiting!" Despite her taunt, she didn't give enough time for Erza to get up. Zylla ran forward, jabbing a shadow sword into Erza's stomach. "Too slow, Fairy Queen."

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** Hey Again! Early this time too. I'm glad you guys have stuck with it this far!_

 _Like I said before, I'm going to Florida for my Spring Break and most likely won't have a lot of time to upload another chapter between vacationing and doing homework with my little free time._

 _I really appreciate those that have reviewed! It means a lot!_

 _Anyway, I'll take to you guys next time! Happy St. Patrick's Day Tomorrow!_


	7. Chapter 7: The Slip

"In order for them to keep this magic that she would get, they would… kill her…" Lacie cringed at the mention of someone being killed. Everyone else who had been down here had been killed. She was the only one left… until these two came along…

"No! I won't let that happen! Wendy isn't going to die! Not if I have a say in it!" Lucy looked about to explode. Inside, she was welling up with anger, that is, until Wendy made a groaning noise. Lucy's eyes shot over to her form as she started to cough up blood. "Wendy!"

"L...Lucy? Where are we…?" Wendy sat up slowly, blood still dripping from her face. She brought her hand up to her mouth, wiping as much blood off as she could. Her eyes shot around everywhere, landing on the girl in the cell next to her. "W-Who are you!?"

"I-I'm Lacie… Wendy, calm down, now that you're awake, we are going to have to move fast," Lacie was standing up in her cell, her hand over the lock of the cell.

"Wendy, you can trust her. She wants to help us get out to find the others," Lucy stood up as well, watching Lacie to make sure she didn't go back on her word. She watched as the lock on the cell started to freeze, and shatter. Lacie pushed the door open, going to Wendy's cell and doing the same, shattering the lock. She extended a hand for Wendy.

"Come on, we need to get out of here before Melody gets back," Wendy took Lacie's outstretched hand, grabbing it and pulling herself up. They walked over to Lucy's cell, who gratefully thanked Lacie and pulled Wendy into a tight hug.

"Come on, let's go find Natsu and the others," Lucy started forward, but Wendy pulled on her hand for a moment.

"Wait, where's Carle? She was with us before…" Lucy sweatdropped. She had forgotten all about her.

"I'm sure she's fine, Wendy, but now we need to get out of here. Let's go," Lucy started forward, Wendy and Lacie at her heals.

* * *

"Carle! Carle! Are you in the fish barrel!?" Happy was flying around in a storage cave. He had been put on search duty before Natsu and the others entered the cave. So far, he hadn't found anyone. But the rumbling of the cave system told Happy that Natsu had found someone… So he would look for Carle!

He wasn't having much luck in the fish barrels, so he decided to try another room. When he pushed open the door, he was met with a huge, hollowed out room. Inside were many different animals and monsters. There were different types of livestock, magical creatures like Vulcan, and other animals. They were all locked up in cells… Happy flew past many of these, going all the way to the back. He looked into one cells.

One the floor, there was a bow. A pink and orange colored one. Happy gasped. He would recognize that bow anywhere. "Carle!? Carle! Answer me!" He frantically flew around the cage until he heard a quiet response.

"Can you ever shut up, Tomcat?" Carle was laying in a dark corner of her cell, all bruised under her white fur.

"Carle! What happened?" Happy came to the ground, folding his wings back. He reached into the cell, trying to reach for her. When he couldn't reach her, he threw his little green bag on the floor, looking around for something to help get her out. He came across a small stick that he could use to pick the lock on the cell.

"I was trying to do my job and protect Wendy… Happy, please tell me you know where she is?" Carle sounded desperate, which made Happy wince in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Carle, I haven't seen anyone yet. But I'll get you out of here and we can go find them, okay?" Happy had almost gotten the lock undone, and he looked Carle in the eye. He heard a click as the lock fell to the ground. He swung the door open, and came into it, helping Carle up.

"That would be nice," Carle gave him a hopeful look.

"Come on, let's go find her," Happy and Carle both walked out of the cell and the room, staying on the ground for the time being, listening to the shattering walls and crumbling ceilings.

* * *

"Oh, it did nothing, huh?" Luke still smirked in Natsu's direction, readying his next attack.

"Yeah, and with that flaw, I'm gonna kick your ass! Fire Dragon Slayer's Flame Elbow!" Natsu jumped into air, expecting flame to come from his arm, boosting the power of his punch, but no such flames were present. Instead, only a still powerful punch connected with Luke's counterattack. Their fists created dust that flew out from both of them. When the dust settled, Luke and Natsu stood with the fists still connected. Luke smirked at Natsu, seeing his expression turn into that of a stone expression.

"See, my wind has compressed your fire, meaning you can't use magic against me," He smirked, bringing his fist back again, and connected a wind powered fist to his nose, throwing Natsu back again.

"Shit… Why do I always end up with the wind freaks? This is becoming a pain in the ass…" Natsu stood up, cracking his knuckles and staring at Luke with a new ferocity. He seemed to be… thinking of something.

 _Worrying will only mess you up. You have to keep your head clear._ Mark the day, Natsu actually thought about what Gray had told him before. But, he was right. Natsu needed to focus on beating Luke, and then he could save Lucy.

"I may not have magic on my side, but I won't fall to you. I don't have that luxury as a member of Fairy Tail. We always fight to the end," Natsu stood straight, his right shoulder facing Luke, showing off his Fairy Tail insignia.

"We'll see about that, Dragneel. Wind Make: Multiple Scythe Dance!" Scythes made entirely of wind came at Natsu from every angle, but he dodged every single one. He ran straight at Luke, who desperately tried to knock Natsu off course, only to come out unsuccessful. Natsu got close enough to ram his hard head into Luke's stomach, making him fly backwards, and into the wall with a powerful force. A cracking noise filled the room, indicating Natsu had definitely broken something. He rushed forward again, the same effect happening, but against a different wall. His movements were too fast for Luke to follow, leaving him blind in any magic attack he sent at the fire mage.

Luke regained his footing, wiping blood from his lower lip, and he put his fist in his palm once more. "Wind Make: Shred!" The wind around Natsu grew into sharp objects, cutting at his skin. He gritted his teeth, not letting the sharp winds take over. They rushed past him, over and over, not letting up.

Natsu eventually flew back, losing the fight against the wind. Luke smiled and walked forward. He looked at Natsu's battered form as it tried to get back up.

Natsu stood up to his full height, ignoring the pain that coursed through his body. He raised his fist in front of him. "I said, I'm not giving up. The best thing for you to do is get out of my way," Natsu took a step towards Luke, but Luke didn't waver.

"Fat chance, Salamander. Wind Make: Sword!" Luke created a wind sword in his palms, and ran at Natsu, bringing it over his head, ready to strike down on the fire mage. He was mere inches from Natsu as he brought the sword down with all his might. There was a large burst of light that came from the end of Luke's wind sword, and he felt his sword stop. A dust cloud formed around them, and they both stayed in place as the dust settled. Natsu was at the other end, but he had caught the blade between his palms. He had a scowl on his face, and he kneed Luke in the stomach.

Somehow, Natsu had gotten his fire wind barrier to vanish, and he could use his fire yet again. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Natsu used Luke as a base to jump into the air, coming back down on top of Luke, crushing him into the ground, a large crater forming. As Luke went limp, the room around Natsu started to fade from the black abyss to a room full of cells. Some of the doors were open, others ransacked, others with corpses still inside them. But, there wasn't a sign of Lucy or Wendy.

* * *

"Is everything alright? I thought you said my flames weren't as hot as your friend's?" Flint's smirk reappeared on his face as he gazed at Gray's burning body still trying to fight the intense heat.

"The hell!? How did it get so hot!?" Gray was sweating profusely now. This attack made it feel like the very room was on fire. It was still nothing compared to how hot it got when Natsu got mad, but with this huge quantity of fire around him, it felt like he could burn at any second.

"That's one of my ace spells. It may not look like it, but I can do so much more than I look capable of. Fire Make: Typhoon!" A swirl of red fire came barreling towards Gray, and fast. Gray panicked and tried to jump out of the way, but the heat was getting to him. His reflexes were slow because of the immense heat. The typhoon hit him full force, knocking him back a few feet. His forearms and shirt was burned. He grimaced at the burns, but faced his opponent. Gray pulled at the collar of his shirt, pulling it off and throwing it off to the side.

"If I were to lose to you, it would be like losing to Natsu, and my reputation won't take that," Gray shifted back into his ice make stance. "Ice Make: Geyser!" The huge ice geyser rose from under Flint, catching him inside it. Both males had a surprised face, but it didn't last long. The heat from the room started to melt the ice geyser, and Flint fell to the ground, smirking.

"I told you, it's pointless fighting me. You're out of your element, ice boy. Fire Make: Bullets!" Flint lifted a fire made gun and shot it at Gray. He was starting to get used to the heat and jumped out of the way of most of the bullets. The ones that hit him only gave him minor damage, and they mostly hit him in his shins.

"I'm about done with this! Ice Make: Knuckle!" Six different knuckles left the ground in front of Gray and headed straight for Flint. He smirked, thinking it would melt before it got to him, but three of the knuckles made it. They struck him in the stomach and chest, and he stumbled back. The ice had made cuts in his chest, and he clutched his chest as he quickly stood back up, bracing himself against another cold fist attached to the man he needed to defeat at any cost.

"Can't you learn to keel over? I've never met such a persistent fighter before. Fire Make: Shower!" Flint jumped up, avoiding one of Gray's rouge punches, and he aimed his hands in Gray's general direction. A barrage of fire pellets bombarded their way to Gray's arms and chest, and he stumbled back, but not far. He had to get rid of the fire surrounding the room if he was going to beat this guy.

"Ice Make: Ice Wall!" Gray lowered his hands to the ground, part of the floor turning to ice, and the ice creeping up the burning walls. The ice seemed to start to melt, but that only made Gray put more effort into his spell. Soon enough, the entire room was now coated in ice, and he could finally use his magic. Flint stared wide-eyed at what Gray had done.

"No one's ever done that before… What are you!?" Flint seemed almost afraid of Gray now. I mean, he was shirtless, had just destroyed his ace, and now stood above the unfortunate fire make mage.

"I'm Gray Fullbuster of Fairy Tail, and you are the one who messed with the wrong guild! Ice Make: Death Scythe," In Gray's hand formed a scythe, which he quickly swung at Flint, cutting his chest and stomach, and making him fall to the ground. Gray's scythe disappeared, and the room shifted back to normal around him. He sighed in relief, and stumbled back a few feet, before falling against a pillar that was still standing.

* * *

"Too slow, Fairy Queen," Zylla gave a sadistic smile, but hesitated when she didn't hear any screams. Erza gazed up at her, through an opening in her adamantine armor. Erza gave a fierce battle cry, throwing Zylla across the room.

"It seems you are slow to get the message that I won't lose. Step aside before you regret it," Erza stared at Zylla's form as she stood up. Zylla gave a firm glare as she pulled her fist back into her palm for another spell.

"It won't be that easy! Shadow Make: Birds!" A magic circle formed in front of her and a multitude of birds flew out towards Erza, causing the requip mage to requip into her flight armor, jumping around and dodging the different birds.

"Sonic Claw!" Erza rushed forwards towards Zylla slashing at her in every direction. She hit Zylla in the stomach and arm, before she caught up and threw Erza a few feet away, but she quickly caught her own footing. They both rushed forward again, both missing with their shadow and short swords. They sped past each other, Zylla turning quickly and bringing down her sword on Erza's back. Luckily, Erza sped fast past the sword, but they were farther apart from each other.

"Shadow Make: Knuckles!" Erza recognized this spell. Gray used this one many times when they sparred, but with ice instead of shadows. She smirked and requipped into her Heaven's wheel armor. She countered every shadow knuckle with two or three swords and destroyed them. She then proceeded to summon more swords, throwing them at Zylla. They all made contact with her, sending her to be pinned against the wall.

She grunted in pain as she hit the wall, but she didn't give up. "You win for now… Shadow Body," Zylla slipped through the swords and the floor, and seemingly vanished from the room completely. Erza panicked for a moment, but didn't feel the girl's magic power anymore.

"Coward…" Erza scowled and mumbled under her breath. She glanced back to where Gray and Natsu were, and ran down the hall. If they had run into mages of this caliber… They still would have used up an awful lot of magic power themselves. She requipped back into her Heart Kreuz armor as she ran.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** Hallu again! I'm so glad that you guys are still here! Even after I left for an entire week..._

 _So, I had planned to have internet at the resort, and we did... but you could only connect three devices at a time and it was just terrible to begin with._

 _I understand that sometimes, when a story isn't updated, people don't read it (wow, shocker) but I will make up for this by combining two chapters! This one here was supposed to end after Natsu's fight, but then the next one was really short, and yada yada yada, moer excuses, I know... So I really hope you enjoyed this double chapter!_

 _For all those who had Spring Breaks, I hope they were wonderful! And if not, I apologize for that... Maybe this can cheer you up!_

 _Read, Reveiw, all that lovely work, and stay beautiful people!_

 _See y'all Friday!_


	8. Chapter 8: Guild of Five?

Lucy, Wendy, and Lacie had gotten far enough from their cells. Far enough to take a break against a wall.

"Lucy… How much more… Running are we gonna… do…?" Wendy panted out beside the blonde, trying not to wince at the injuries around her ribs.

"I don't know… Lacie?" Lucy glanced at the lighter blue haired girl, an exhausted look on her face.

"We're almost out of this… but there's going to be a lot of other mages that are helping out this guild," She didn't seem out of breath, but really, her heart was beating really fast.

"What do you mean… Helping out the guild…? Aren't they… part of it?" Lucy was catching her breath, and now she stood upright instead of hunched over on her knees.

"The guild only consists of a few members… Melody, Luke, Flint, and Zylla. They all use a form of maker magic, along with illusion magic," She glanced around a corner, checking for a sign of anyone.

"You mean, this "Guild" only consists of four people!?" Lucy started to panic. _How powerful are they!?_

"Other than their master, yes, there are only four mages in Void Amulet. The thing is, they really aren't that powerful… They use illusions to get into their enemies heads, get under their skin," Lacie looked back at the two girls. Lucy was glancing over at Wendy, but Wendy was staring intently at Lacie, like she was trying to figure something out.

"I have a question… how do you know so much about this? How long have you been here?" Wendy took a step towards her, her soft brown eyes being gentle with Lacie's amethyst orbs.

"I-I've been here for about three months now," She looked away from Wendy, not wanting her to see her tears pile up. However, what she did next made Lacie's heart swell and want to protect her even more. Wendy was right next to her in an instant, hugging Lacie like they had known each other since they were kids.

"Well, you're getting out today. And I'm gonna make sure of that. I promise," She gave Lacie a wide grin, one similar to Natsu's.

Lacie was stunned. How could she be so sure of that? Even though she really wanted to believe Wendy, she didn't know if she could.

"Lacie, you don't have to believe her. But when Wendy makes a promise, she always keeps it," Lucy was still where she had been before, and as she said this, Wendy pulled back, keeping her hand on Lacie's shoulder.

"Okay, I believe you. Let's get out of here," Lacie looked between both of them before looking around the corner. She saw it was clear, so they started down the hall, getting closer to the exit.

"Where do you brats think you're going?"

* * *

Natsu scowled at the empty room before him. The cells around him had busted locks on them, and others were just hanging open. He yelled at thin air and punched the door he had come in. It opened with a loud creak.

Natsu stepped out of the room cautiously, trying not to spring another trap. He didn't. Lucky him. However, he saw that everything was either burned or had ice covering everything. Then he saw a figure leaning against a pillar. It had the same black hair and shirtless body of, "Gray!?"

The ice mage whirled around, trying to see who had called him. When he saw the pink head of hair, he sighed in relief, trying to stand up. "Natsu, looks like you went through a tornado," He watched as Natsu sweat dropped.

"You could say that… You look like you went through hell," Natsu watched as Gray took on a similar expression to his.

"You could say that…" They both didn't say anything for a moment, giving a certain red head an opportunity to run into the room.

"Natsu! Gray! Are you two alright?" Erza had on her armor, but the boys could both still see some scratches, and the way her breath seemed to escape from her, they knew she had fought someone too.

"I'm alright, I just think I used up a bit of my magic," Gray didn't meet her eyes, not wanting to have to look into them when they raged with anger.

"I'm fine… but I lost Lucy and Wendy's trail…" He, too, had the same thought as Gray, not meeting the she-demon's eyes.

"Good. Save as much strength as you can. I feel something big is about to go down."

* * *

Happy and Carle had raced past many people that were running through the tunnels. They had to continuously dodge into corners and behind barrels in order for them not to be caught.

"Happy, do you have any idea of where you're going?" He had been dragging Carle along, and they had gotten to a hall where no one was.

"Nope. I'm just going where I think we should. We should find them eventually," Happy looked at Carle like the answer to her question had been so obvious.

"That isn't how it works, Tomcat! We need to find Wendy before something bad happens!" She threw his paw out of hers, and she gave him a look of disapproval.

"Relax Carle, Natsu does this all the time! And he's never lost!" Happy gave Carle a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Fine, but if we don't find them soon, I'm holding you responsible," She crossed her arms as Happy motioned for them to start running again.

They went down more and more tunnels, until they heard a racking of chain and screams down one hall. One scream sounded awfully familiar.

"Wendy!" Carle almost darted forward, but Happy held her back.

"There are chain noises too… Carle, we have to be careful" Happy had a look of worry written across his face.

"I know, but that was Wendy. She's in trouble, come on!"

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** To be honest, I'm disappointed in myself... Here I am, thinking the next one is gonna be this long ass chapter and that I could redeem myself... Turns out it wasn't... I looked ahead and tried to see if there was another place that I could stop, but I couldn't find _ that _place, you know?_

 _I apologize for the short chapter! If you really like the battle earlier, you'll enjoy the few that are coming up. Please, I still do take criticism, and if anything doesn't make sense, I can address it for you. Don't be shy!_

 _I'm a greedy little author who just hopes for feedback..._

 _Anyway! Enough of my sad life..._

 _I really hope you guys enjoyed! Please Review and let me know how I can improve myself!_

 _Stay beautiful!_


	9. Chapter 9: Reunion

"Where do you brats think you're going?" A figure came up from behind them, her familiar sadistic grin adorning her face. Wendy spun around first and was met by an Iron Make: Spike Ball to the chest. She cried out in pain and chains flew at both Lacie and Lucy. The blonde easily evaded the chains, but Lacie hit the wall with a sickening thud.

"Wendy! Lacie!" Lucy turned around to look at both girls, but something else caught her eye. Two very familiar exceeds were making their way towards them.

"Carle! Happy! I never thought I'd be happy to see either of you!" She received a prompt 'Hey' by both exceeds, but it was short lived. Lucy was struck in the back by another spike chain and turned around shortly after.

"I love the happy reunion, but you need to get the girls out of here!" Lucy pulled out her whip, ready for a battle.

"Lucy! I'm not leaving you!" Wendy stood up as she recovered from earlier.

"No! I can handle it! I need you to find the others! Then you can come back!" Melody only smirked at the two as they talked. She was looking forward to beating Blondie.

"Lucy-" Wendy tried to reason with Lucy to let her stay, but Lucy cut her off.

"Go! Please!" Lucy didn't turn to face Wendy, just kept her gaze straight ahead.

Wendy nodded and turned to help Lacie to stand. She turned around for a second, getting a last glance at Lucy, and turned to follow both exceeds.

"Well, looks like we're finally alone," Melody tilted her head to the side as Lucy felt a shiver run down her spine.

"And you won't beat me that easily this time. I know you're here, and what you're capable of," She unhooked her whip from her side and chanted, "Fleuve d'etoiles!" It transformed into her signature weapon, and her hand floated down to her keys. She didn't know how much magic energy she could spare with this.

"We'll see about that. Iron Make: Tiger!" And iron based tiger emerged from the grey magic circle that appeared in front of her. Lucy's hand grabbed a key and she held it in front of her.

"Open! Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" A pink haired spirit in her maid uniform appeared next to Lucy. The chains around her wrists made a lot of noise as she sped forward to meet the tiger head on, giving Lucy time to summon another spirit. "Open! Gate of the Ram! Aries!" The shy spirit appeared next to her.

"I'm sorry I took so long. How may I help you, Miss Lucy?" Aries squirmed as the iron tiger disappeared.

"Keep her distracted!" Lucy stood still, assessing how she worked. That was her whole point with bringing Aries out. She was always good at helping her finding their pattern.

Aries nodded in understanding, and fired Wool Bombs at Melody, which she dodged. Everytime she landed, she side stepped, and put her hand in front of her to steady herself, her gaze always fixed on Lucy or her spirits.

"Thanks, guys. That'll be all," Both of her spirits disappeared without another word, already feeling the strain on Lucy's magic energy. She wobbled as she felt the two gates break contact, but kept her stance.

"Are you already giving up? What an idiotic move! Iron Make: Meltdown!" Iron rods formed above her and rained down. Lucy cursed under her breath as she ran around, dodging the falling iron. The iron stopped falling and Lucy glanced up, making sure they were done. It looked like they had. She glanced at Melody, but what she saw made her blood run cold.

* * *

"Hurry child! Use your nose!" Carle was in Wendy's arms, and Happy was in the new girl's arms.

"Wait, they talk!?" Lacie looked down at Happy in disbelief and wonder. She also glanced at the white cat in Wendy's arms.

"We not only talk, but we can fly too. And Carle sometimes has weird visions," Happy glanced up at the girl.

"Do you care to tell us your name?" Carle looked back at her while Wendy nudged the cat in her arms.

"Carle, she helped us get out. Be nice," Wendy whispered to the cat.

"I'm Lacie. It's short for Glacia. I'm sorry if I've offended you in any way," Lacie looked the cat in the eye.

"You haven't offended me. I'm just cautious. Wendy is always trusting people she shouldn't. I was making sure you weren't the same," The cat didn't elaborate on if Lacie had made the cut, but from the cat dropping the subject, she figured she had. For now.

"Well, this is Carle. She's really not this mean. She's just protective," Wendy explained to Lacie. She stopped abruptly at a cross in the hallway and pulled everyone behind a barrel full of booze.

"Sir, we need to find them. They already took out both Luke and Flint. Zylla escaped and is trying to find the prisoners, but she hasn't had any luck so far," A feminine voice chimed through the halls, quiet enough for a regular set of ears to not hear.

"I don't care. You must find Wendy Marvel and Glacia Lakes. They are too important to let go," A male voice joined in, almost annoyed at the other one.

"But, Sir-"

"Enough! You will do as I say!" He spun to turn on her, having to hold himself back from hitting her.

"Y-Yes, Sir… Right away…" She turned to run back the way they came, while the man continued forward.

"Who was that?" Wendy had wide eyes as she whispered to Lacie in an almost too quiet voice. She was surprised that Lacie had heard her.

"That was the Master. As for the girl… I don't know. I haven't seen her before," This worried Wendy down to her bones. She hated not knowing who she was up against.

"Let's keep going. Just be careful for the girl. We need to find Natsu," Happy said from Lacie's head.

"Yeah. Follow me, I think they're close. His scent is pretty strong," Wendy peaked out from the barrel and she started forward, Lacie and the exceeds not far behind.

* * *

"Good. Save as much strength as you can. I feel something big is about to go down." Erza was only slightly panting from her brief fight. She was worried about why Zylla had left so quickly, but there wasn't time for that. "Natsu, have you had any luck with finding Lucy and Wendy?"

"No, I lost their scent after I finished my fight," He looked down at the ground, already mad at himself.

"Idiot. Now how are we supposed to find them?" Gray looked like crap. And he was calling Natsu an idiot? Still, there was no response as Natsu turned from the group, going down another hall.

"Natsu? Where do you think you're going?" Erza ran up to him, stopping him from continuing on any further.

"I'm going to find Lucy and Wendy. I'm not just going to sit around," He didn't meet her gaze.

"Natsu. We all want to find them, but we need to do it together. Do you have a scent at all of either of them?" She had a hand on his shoulder as he tried to catch a scent he recognized.

And he did. The breeze before the storm. _Wendy._ His eyes widened and he nodded, sprinting off in the direction of her scent. Gray and Erza only had time to glance at each other before they dashed after him.

"Wendy!? Wendy!" Natsu rounded a corner and caught the scent to a sharp left, where he could see two girls, both shades of blue hair. He ran forward, catching the sight of the darker blue haired girl and she smiled as her eyes started to tear up.

"Natsu!" He wrapped her in a hug as Gray and Erza caught up, their words in their throats as they saw that Wendy was alright.

"Wendy! You're alright! Wait, where's Lucy?" Natsu parted from their hug when he noticed that Lucy wasn't here, and still hadn't seen the new girl with them.

"Um, she, uh, is fighting someone?" Wendy looked down at her hands.

"She told us to run. She wanted us to find you before we came back to help her," The other girl decided to speak up, receiving a look from Natsu.

"Who are you?" Erza was the first to put what these three were thinking into words.

"I'm Glacia Lakes. I, uh-"

"Lacie helped me and Lucy out of our cells. Please don't make her leave!" Wendy pleaded to all three of them, her puppy eyes catching them all off guard.

"I can't say no…"

"Now why would we say that!?"

"As long as she doesn't hurt Lucy…"

These were all said in unison, Gray and Natsu looking away as Erza crouched down next to both Wendy and Glacia.

"Now can you tell me where Lucy is?" Wendy gave him a sad look as she nodded. She knew why he was so upset.

"Yeah, she's this way…"

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** It's me again! I really hope you enjoyed this one! _

_Have you caught on that I write a lot of cliffhangers? Yeah, many of them aren't very good, but hey, there's some..._

 _Anyway, short AN here. I'm really happy of the few people who have stuck with this and love this! It really does mean a lot to me!_

 _Remember, I can ask any questions you guys have! Don't be afraid to ask them!_

 _Alright, I'll see y'all Friday!_


	10. Chapter 10: Shine!

Lucy looked back at Melody, expecting to see her still there mocking her. But she wasn't. She had horror spiking through her features as she slumped to the floor, a black colored blade protruding from her stomach. Instead, there was a girl with Raven Black hair and white eyes smirking back at her.

"Who the hell are you?" Lucy panted to try and catch her breath as she looked at this girl. Had she just saved her? Or is this some sort of sick game?

"Watch your tone. Right now, I am the only chance you have at living for much longer. You're lucky I stopped an idiotic comrade from killing you," She nudged Melody over to the side with her foot, her tight black clothing showing off her form when she walked towards Lucy.

"You're with her!? You just killed her!" Lucy grit her teeth as she tried to hold back anything that could get her killed.

"Sometimes sacrifices are needed in order to win. You of all people should understand, _Heartfilia,_ " The way this girl said her name made Lucy want to cringe and hide away, but the only reaction was a wide-eyed terrified stare.

"How do you know who I am?" She was given a response of a barbarous laugh.

"Everyone knows who you are! You're the spitting image of your mother. But that isn't why I'm here. Where are the young mages?" Somehow, coming from her mouth, it was almost an insult, but Lucy didn't dwell on it for too long.

"As if I'd tell you. They're my family, I won't ever rat them out," Lucy again pulled out her fleuve d'etoiles and stared at her opponent.

"You will. In time," She pulled her hands back in a stance that was similar to Gray's and chanted a spell. "Shadow Make: Wolf!" A wolf emerged from the magic circle that appeared. It stared at Lucy for a long moment before charging at her. She grimaced as she pulled out a key from her hip.

"Open! Gate of the Lion! Leo!" Loke appeared next to her and immediately used his regulas light to make the shadows disappear. Finally… She was getting somewhere with her opponents.

"You alright Lucy?" He didn't take an eye off of his opponent, just making a pose and giving her a glare.

"Yes. Perfectly fine. I just called you out to ask you on a date," His cheeks turned pink for a moment as he looked back at her, the words already forming on his lips. "SARCASM, IDIOT!" He shook his head and nodded, turning back to the black-haired women.

"Are you lovebirds done bickering?" She had a bored look on her face. Loke was about to respond with something, but Lucy beat him to it.

"We are NOT in love. Whatsoever. Nope. Just contracted to each other. FRIENDS!" Loke's face didn't change at all, only nodding to confirm her statement. It was forbidden for a Mage and her contracted spirit to fall in love anyway.

"Well, the way you're bickering sure doesn't say-" Loke had had enough of her talking and ran up while she was speaking. He punched her right in the jaw, throwing her off to the side as he jumped back to get away from her.

"Nice hit, Loke!" She smiled as he jumped back. Sometimes, she loved it when people mistook their arguments for them being in love. It came in handy. Other times it was just annoying.

"Fine! If you won't tell me where the little girls are, then I'll take you instead. Shadow Make: Giant!" A huge figure appeared in front of them, a shadowy mess of limbs failing to get upright. Lucy looked down at her keys. She didn't have much energy left, but she had to do something. She flinched as she felt a twinge of magic power run through her hand and down the key as she tried to open another gate.

"Open! Gate of the Twins! Gemini!" The two blue twins popped up right beside Lucy as she stumbled a little, trying to catch her balance. She wouldn't last much longer.

"Piri! Piri! Please be careful!" Gemi was on her left, holding her up.

"Piri! Piri! Gemi's right! We're a strain on your magic!" Mini was on her other side. Loke was trying to fight the giant, keeping it at bay for now.

"Then we better do this quick. I won't have enough to do it any later. Gemini, turn into me!" They looked worried, but with a glance at each other, they both turned into another copy of Lucy, standing right beside her.

"Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens. All the stars, far and wide. Show me thy appearance with such shine. Oh Tetrabiblos. I am the ruler of the stars. Aspect become complete. Open thy malevolent gate. 88 Stars of the heaven... Shine! Urano Metria!" Both Lucy's said this in unison, their voices mixing and growing bigger by the second. The black haired girl didn't bat an eye at her spell. She expected this. Her shadow giant disappeared quickly, as did Lucy's other spirit out at this point, saving some magic for this spell.

Loke had a proud smile as he forced his own gate shut. Planets surrounded both Lucy's and the girl, who had taken a step back from the sheer force of Lucy's spell. She cursed under her breath, and made a bloodcurdling scream as the spell hit her dead on. This scream hadn't gone unnoticed.

As her spell finished, Lucy felt all her energy leave her and couldn't feel Gemini's gate open anymore. She fell to the ground, just barely hanging onto consciousness. She was an idiot to use that spell, but she needed to at least try.

"You… did a number on me… but I'm… not down," The girl was kneeling across from Lucy, torn up and panting to catch her breath. "Zylla. Zylla was almost taken down by a mere Fairy. _Pathetic._ You'll pay," Zylla now looked at Lucy's crumpled form, a sword made of her shadows hanging from her own beaten form.

"I'm not… Either…" Lucy saw she wasn't down. She had cursed under her breath, willing herself to stand up. She grimaced at the pain that shot through her bones, but she stood, shakily, clutching her whip.

"You've got a lot more fight than I thought you would. But you won't be stepping into anymore halls," She let out a fierce battle cry and ran at Lucy, swinging the sword for a well placed strike. However, there was a flash of another sword and strong arms that moved her out of the way as she slipped from the world.

* * *

Natsu ran past Wendy while Gray pulled her up and glared at Natsu. "Idiot! You don't even know which way! It's a maze!" Natsu didn't say anything. He just continued down the hall.

Wendy put a hand on Gray's shoulder for a second as Erza ran forward to follow Natsu. "He's been through a lot, and he's worried… We should hurry. With his nose, he'll find her in no time," She glanced back at Carle who had sat in Lacie's arms. She took Lacie's hand and Carle hopped onto Wendy's head as they ran after Natsu, Gray not far behind.

"Natsu! Be careful! We don't know who she's fighting!" Erza had caught up with him easily.

"I can't just sit here Erza!" He was interrupted by a scream. His blood ran cold. What if it was hers? "Lucy!" He turned on his heel and continued to run until Erza caught his shoulder. It went quiet.

"I'm going first. You grab Lucy and get out of there," Erza requipped a sword into her hand, and ran in front of Natsu. Her eyes widened as she didn't take another second to think. She flew forward and past Lucy's falling form and blocked an oncoming sword from Zylla. She grimaced as she effectively blocked it.

Natsu had pulled Lucy into his arms, feeling her tense before going limp in his arms. He hugged her to his chest as he brought her back and Zylla blinked in confusion, which quickly turned to anger.

"NO! You weren't supposed to find her!" Natsu took one look at her and smiled. Lucy had torn this girl up pretty bad. Her hair was in a frenzy and her clothes were ripped everywhere. She had a murderous look in her eye when Erza stood defiantly in front of Lucy and the group, who had gathered in front of Natsu and Lucy.

"You won't be hurting anyone else. This is where your guild will be stopped," Erza ran forward and started an all out sword fight. Natsu had laid Lucy down with her head in his lap.

Now that he looked at her, she was pretty badly beaten up as well. Her stomach had dried blood all over it and her clothes were ripped as well, but it wasn't as bad as other times. He glanced up at the ongoing fight, seeing another body sitting on the ground in the corner. Not breathing. Lucy wouldn't have done that, she wouldn't have gone that far, which only meant…

She did that. This girl that Erza was fighting had done this to the silver haired girl. Rage built inside Natsu. How could she do that to one of her own?

"Requip!" Erza brought Natsu out of his anger as she changed into her Heaven's Wheel armor, and immediately summoned different swords that flew at Zylla. She cursed under her breath as she dodged every sword, a few catching on what was left of her torn clothing. Bringing her hand back, she started to summon yet another spell.

"Shadow Make: Clones!" Emerging from her sides and spreading around the group, 7 other clones joined the already cramped hallway. It was utter chaos. Gray jumped into the fight, already helping Erza take on some of the shadow clones, which was much harder than it looked.

Natsu cursed as he looked back down at Lucy. Wendy had come along and was trying to heal her for now, and the new girl (Gluigi?) was looking somewhat… guilty… or upset, one of the two. He moved Lucy's hair behind her ear, and took off his vest, laying it on the ground beneath her head.

"Wendy, don't let anything else happen to her."

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** Heyo Minna! I'm happy you joined me today! Sorry about the late update, I have a friend spending the week... Anyway, enjoy this one! _

_Are you guys enjoying this one! Please let me know!_


	11. Chapter 11: Ice

"You bitch!" Gray ran forward at Zylla, or at least one of the clones. Their reflexes weren't the same as her own. He called out his Cold Excalibur, slicing the clone in half. Natsu stood again as a thought occured to him. _How was Erza and Gray having this much trouble?_

"Watch yourselves! Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" Both of his hands ignited and created a huge, bright flame, causing many of the clones to shriek and start to dissipate.

The real Zylla now stood in front of him, a terrified expression on her face, but her body language told him she was going to strike again. He brought his hands down, throwing the huge fireball at Zylla. She shrieked herself as the fireball hit her, and yet, she still wasn't down.

She was on her knees with three wizards coming at her, and a low magic energy source inside her. She stood up one last time, bringing her hands together.

"Shadow Make: Giant!" Shadows started to take form behind her. Arms formed first, swinging at all three, effectively throwing them back yet again. It was much bigger than last time. Gray landed on his back, Natsu on his face, and Erza rolling back onto her knee as it took the rest of its form.

A giant shadow monster formed, looking down among them. Its eyes fell on Glacia and Wendy, completely ignoring the rest. Gray and Natsu were struggling to stand back up, their previous fights having done much damage. Even Erza was using a sword to steady herself.

Glacia looked at them, all struggling because of her. She glanced at Wendy, who was looking pale from using her magic to heal Lucy. Then she turned back to the huge monster. She stood up and ran towards the giant, her magic power increasing with every step.

"Lacie! Wait!" Wendy tried to call out to her, but was too late. The giant's arm was swinging down on her with everything it had. Everyone's eyes widened as she passed Gray and Natsu.

"Ice Dragon's Roar!" She stood in front of Gray and Natsu, her voice echoing throughout the hall. A vortex of ice shot out at the giant, bright crystals tacking to it. It shrieked an involuntary noise, stumbling back. Zylla glanced up at the incoming vortex, a look of pure fear on her face.

She was more powerful than anyone had thought. Even Wendy and Natsu were wide-eyed at the size of her roar. Erza and Gray stood there, amazed at what was going on.

The giant started to dissipate, leaving behind fleeting shadows. Zylla finally collapsed to the ground, completely out of magic power. Lacie stood there, panting herself, before she realized what had just happened. She slowly turned around to face the others, who were staring at her like she had grown a second head.

"I-I can explain!" She didn't need to. Wendy had come forward, running at her and engulfing Lacie in a hug.

"What was that!? That was amazing!" Wendy looked up at Lacie, before she pulled back and gave Lacie her space. They were the same height, in fact, they looked like twins when they stood next to each other.

"I-It's my magic… I'm the Ice Dragon Slayer," She said it in a small voice, like she should be ashamed of it.

"Why do you sound so sad?" Natsu butt in his question. It made sense why her scent was so similar to a dragon's.

"I… don't know… I've lost so many people because of it," She stepped away from Wendy, feeling like she had already attached herself too much.

"You won't lose me. I can promise you that," Wendy smiled at Lacie, a calm, inviting smile, one that Lacie hadn't ever witnessed before.

"Okay," She had tears in her eyes as she looked between everyone in front of her. Erza, Natsu, and Gray were all smiling along with her.

"That's a pretty hefty promise. Too bad you won't be able to keep it, little girl."

Everyone whipped their heads towards the other end of the hall, where another man now stood. He had an off smell to him. All the dragon slayers were thinking that. Erza and Gray could tell something was off just by the look he gave Glacia.

"Who the hell are you?" Natsu was the first one to speak, standing up in front of his friends. The man only sneered at them.

"Well, you've already met the rest of my guild. It's only polite that we finally meet. I am the master of Void Amulet. And you Fairy scum are out of your territory," He brought his hand up, aiming at Natsu for what seemed like an attack.

Nothing happened. Right away, at least. The room was filled with silence until it was interrupted by the sound of a large scream behind the group.

Wendy reeled back onto the ground clutching at her stomach. A very satisfied Zylla was falling once again. Her master's distraction had been enough for her slip up to the girl. Now, her master could defeat them, even with that ice brat on their side.

"Wendy!" Glacia, Carle and Happy were on top of catching the girl. Gray, Natsu, and Erza were moving back to help, but his voice cut them off from moving.

"You've done well, Zylla. You always were my best warrior. Now I can show you Fairies to not mess with me!" His voice alone even caused Erza to shake. He smirked as he set his fist into the palm of his hand as he held it out in front of him.

"Blood Make: Scarlet Crusader!" Wendy's wound wasn't just for fun. Blood was disappearing from her wound, instead being created into a scythe that formed in his hands. Carle's eyes widened, soon being followed by the others.

"This is Black Magic! He used blood to create anything he wishes! He needs to be stopped!" Carle had tears in her eyes as she held onto Wendy's arm. This magic, indeed, was a form of Black Magic.

"You're a smart cat. She is right. I can use my opponent's blood in making my weapons," He sneered again.

"Why don't you use your own damn blood!? Isn't it a lot more efficient!?" Natsu was starting to get upset, but the only way he dealt with it was by asking stupid questions.

"I can't. You're a Dragon Slayer, you should understand!" He groaned at Natsu's ignorance, but a knowing look came across Natsu's face. Gray and Erza both rolled their eyes and turned back to the Master.

"If you intend to fight us, stop talking. It only makes you look like a coward," Erza requipped into her flight armor, her stats already boosting up themselves. Gray nodded and put his fist back into his right palm by his waist. Natsu gritted his teeth as he ignited both fists.

"I am not a coward!" He let out a battle cry as he started forward, his scythe going straight for Gray, who created his own ice scythe. Their weapons caught on each other's, giving Erza enough time to sneak up.

She came from behind, striking him on the shoulder, digging deep into his skin. He turned on her, holding back his scream but she was already gone. Natsu had taken her place, his fist colliding with his chest, making the Master reel back in pain.

Just a few feet away, Wendy, Glacia, Happy and Carle were trying to get away from the fight. Glacia had picked Wendy up with surprising strength and carried her around a corner of a hallway. Happy was making very quiet complaints as he carried Lucy away from the fight.

Lucy had only just regained consciousness as the fight had started. She had seen them all dive into the fight.

"W-What's going on?" Happy had heard her voice as they rounded the corner and he accidentally dropped her to the ground.

"Lucy! You're awake!" Happy dropped from his position and hugged her chest. "You had me scared!" Lucy groaned but put a hand on his fur, before looking up and seeing Wendy. She was lying against the wall, Glacia trying to hold down a part of her shirt onto Wendy's wound.

"As long as her wound is open, he'll have the ability to use his magic. We need to close this up quickly!" Carle was on the other side, trying to help with pushing down on the ripped piece of clothing.

"How are we supposed to do that? The last time I checked she's the only one with healing magic!" Glacia seemed just as distressed as Carle, but she got a look from Carle, one that seemed to disapprove. "Sorry."

"You barely even know her! Why should you be the one to yell about her when she's like this!?" Carle never yelled, not like this. It made Wendy internally flinch. Lucy pushed herself off the wall and made her way to Wendy.

"You two put a sock in it until this is over!" Lucy pushed past both Glacia and Carle, putting her own pressure on Wendy's wound. She frowned, but still didn't say anything. She didn't know how to fix this. This was Wendy's area. But, she would have to try something.

"Maybe Virgo could help, or Gemini. I'd only be able to keep them out for a short time, though," Wendy shook her head.

"You can't use any more of your magic. You'll be seriously hurt," Wendy coughed after she finished her sentence.

"Then I'll have to deal with it. I have to do something. The last time I checked, none of us know healing magic," She reached down for her keys at her side.

"Wait," Glacia had a look on her face. One that said she had either remembered something, or had gotten an idea. "I can do it. All I need is a snack, but I can stop him from using her blood," By snack, she meant ice. And there was just a little ice around the corner, if he had enough magic energy.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** Oi! It's been a while! I missed you guys!_

 _Well? How is it so far? Good? Bad? Unbearable? Okay?_

 _Yeah, okay, sorry about my greedy little asking... I'm just looking for feedback._

 _Anyway, It's good to see you guys again! See ya Friday!_


	12. Chapter 12: Progress

Lucy was confused. What could she possibly mean? Did she know healing magic?

"I can try and get Gray over here. You'll need to be fast in convincing him to help," Lucy unhooked her Fleuve D'etoiles from her hip.

"I will. I only need a moment," Glacia plastered a determined look on her face and waited for Gray to show up.

"Okay, here goes," Lucy peered around the corner, getting a clear sight of the fight going on ahead of her. All three were working together and only barely keeping up with him. She hated to mess up their flow, but it would help in the end. She hoped.

She could see the Master lose his grip on his weapon, and it went spiraling out of his control. He grunted and mumbled, creating another weapon in his hand, along with a piece of armor.

Lucy desperately tried to block out the cry of agony behind her as she saw Gray flying back and into a pillar. Now was her chance.

"Gray!" She threw out the end of her celestial whip and hooked it around Gray, dragging him to where they were. He stumbled back and fell on top of Lucy, quickly getting up.

"What the hell was that for!?" He didn't realize who he was talking to.

"Sorry, Gray. Glacia needs your help right now. I couldn't think of another way to get you to help her," Lucy stood up and turned him around, pushing him towards Glacia. She didn't give him a chance to exclaim that he was so happy that she was okay. There were more important things to be done.

"Okay, I just need a little bit of your ice," Glacia moved her hand from Wendy's stomach to motion up to Gray.

"Don't question it, just hurry. It will help you guys get rid of him," Lucy threw a thumb over her shoulder.

"Alright, fine. Ice Make: Block!" An ice block appeared next to Glacia, and her face seemed to gain more of its original color.

"Thanks!" He nodded and looked back at Lucy, who had a look of relief set in. Before anything else was said he jumped back into the fight, immediately getting a hit on the master's shin.

Glacia turned back to the huge block of ice and took a huge chunk out. Biting into it, she ate only what she needed for now. A second later, her hands were back over Wendy's stomach.

"This'll hurt a little bit. Try not to move once I'm done," She looked up at Wendy's face before she focused back on her magic. She had only seen this done once, but that was with the help of a dragon's claw.

Wendy tensed up when she felt the cold solid start to form. However, she wasn't bleeding anymore. Her wound was now covered in a red and blue colored ice shard.

"He shouldn't be able to do anything with it now," Glacia looked up at Wendy, who had a small smile on her face.

"Thanks, Lacie," Wendy smiled and put a hand on Carle's head, who seemed to calm down just a tiny bit. Glacia turned back to the ice block that was still half there.

"Now, we have to settle this," The ice didn't last much longer. She smirked before she turned to the opening of the hallway just as a large ray of light filled the other room.

"If you think you're going out there-" Lucy started to talk, standing up next to her.

"I can take care of myself," She seemed defensive.

"Oh, I'm sure you can... Please be careful out there..." Lucy replied in a soft voice, putting a hand on Glacia's shoulder.

"I'll try... This will be my first real fight with others...," She looked away, not expecting Lucy's response.

"You mean you've never been in a real fight before?" Lucy blanched at the girl in front of her.

"With other humans, no. With dragons, yeah..." She looked back with another fire burning in her amethyst eyes.

"Well, be careful," Glacia nodded and turned to leave. "And don't do anything stupid!"

She grinned to herself as she started out, but a ball of fur was seen by the side of her head.

"You want a lift? I'm sure it could give you a good vantage point," Happy was ready to get back into the fight, but was more ready to see Natsu again.

"Sure, I just need a lift to get a clear shot of the master!" Now, some would question this. Her dragon would applaud it.

"Aye, Sir!"

"What?"

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** Hey guys! Been awhile! I've been rereading the ending to this one, and I've concluded that there will be a sequel for this one. I've got it started and it's in motion. The only thing that needs to happen would be to upload it here after "Bitter Cold" is done. _

_Now, there is a lack of stories on my profile, I know. But, believe it or not, this is one of my first stories. And the other little one shots I have, I don't like enough to put on here... That's what happens when your super critical about everything you do..._

 _Speaking of a sequel, that does mean that "Bitter Cold" is coming to an end. I know, short story, yada yada, but this story is over 70 pages on my google docs._

 _Anyway! For most people, this weekend is Easter! I'd like to say happy Easter to those who celebrate it!_

 _I'll see you guys next time! Stay beautiful! Or handsome! Whichever you lovelies prefer!_


	13. Chapter 13: Defeat

Natsu, Erza, and Gray were locked tight in battle. Erza's flight armor had been destroyed after he had landed a few hits on her, causing her to now be in her Purgatory armor.

Gray and Natsu couldn't seem to get a clear and deep enough shot at him. "Lightning Flame Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu sped forward, seeing an opening. However, the master was too fast, and blocked Natsu's attack, twisting his arm and throwing Natsu to the side like a ragdoll.

"Dammit!" He rolled out of the way of a weapon and jumped to his feet.

"Ice Dragon's Hail Descension!" She was right above the master, Her eyes widening when she saw that Natsu was still next to him. "Happy! Get him out of there!" Once her spell was complete, it would drop onto both of them if they weren't careful.

"Aye!" He hesitated just a moment before dropping Glacia and using his max speed to get to Natsu. Her spell took moisture from the air and turned it into a large ball of hail, which would fall on her opponent. And now, it was falling, right onto the master.

"Natsu!" Natsu only had time to glance up when he saw a shadow descending onto him before he felt himself being pushed, or maybe pulled, out of the way.

The ball of hail fell right on top of the master. Everything went quiet. That is, until Glacia dropped to the floor. She let out a loud grunt, landing in a crouched position.

"So that's what the ice was for," Gray said aloud. He glanced over at Erza, who had a grateful look on her face.

"Good work. I believe we owe you," Erza, dramatic as always, smiled at Glacia.

"Oh, no. You don't owe me anything. Not yet," Just as she said this, the ball of ice began to shatter, revealing the master. He looked absolutely livid.

"You brat!" He tried to create a weapon again, but failed. His face grew with confusion, until he figured it out. He growled out.

"Are you having some trouble?" Glacia said in a voice that she wouldn't have dared use before.

"You think you have me beaten. You are largely mistaken," He said in an almost calm voice, which threw the lot of them off. Natsu, for the most part, only looked to be pissed off.

"Enough talking! You're going down!" Natsu growled out, running for the master. "Fire dragon's sword horn!"

"Natsu! No!"

It was too late. He ran faster as fire surrounded him, and he rammed into the master. A large smokescreen appeared around them, causing everyone to scream out for Natsu. They couldn't see a few feet in front of them.

"Natsu!" Erza's voice sounded out as a sort of beacon. A gust of wind came from behind them all, which cleared out much of the smokescreen. Natsu was standing there, swiveling around as he began to see again. The master was nowhere to be seen. There was either sighs of relief or curses that filled the almost silent corridor.

"Dammit Natsu... You couldn't have just waited!? Now he could be who knows where!" Gray, who was now shirtless, yelled at the hot headed fire mage. The two were now quite literally butting heads.

"Listen, Ice Butt, I was trying to stop him!"

"Look where that got us, Flame Brain!"

"Enough!" Erza cut through their bickering, causing each to pull away from the other and flinch. She hadn't been anywhere near them, but the way she sounded was enough to scare anyone. Even the toughest mage. "There isn't anything to be done about it. We've gotten as many as we can. Let's get back home before anyone else is hurt."

"You can't really be saying what I think you're saying, right Erza?" Natsu had a sort of hopeless look on his face. It only grew as Erza turned away from his gaze.

"She isn't. It was a close enough call already with Wendy. We need to get back to the guild," Lucy had walked up behind Erza, understanding why she had said it, even though it pained her to. Gray and Natsu both looked at each other before nodding. They both hated seeing such defeated looks, but couldn't help it. There wasn't anything to do. Not this time, at least.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:  
**_ _O~O_

O~O

 _Oh my god. It's been so long... I feel so bad... Please forgive me guys! I've been sick lately, and not in the best mindset right now (If you can't already tell) and school just sucks._

 _I've been writing little bits and pieces since I decided to rewrite the ending, and that proves a lot harder when you have a little less than a month of school and finals daunting your future._

 _Honestly, I can't believe you guys have stuck around this long. I was a total bum the past month(ish) and I apologize. but, here is another chapter. The next one should prove at least a little interesting, if I find time to write it and get it out to you lovely people._

 _Stay beautiful! Love you all!_


	14. Chapter 14: The End?

The group of mages stood there, silent and brooding. It all seemed hopeless. The first to speak up didn't dare do so until she had grabbed enough air to break the glass of silence.

"We should get out of here… Alert the magic council now that the job is done. They'll know what to do," The timid blue haired girl was finally able to break it, stepping up to Lucy and slightly falling onto the blonde. Luckily, Lucy caught her, steadying her. "Please forgive me… I didn't mean to be such a liability today…"

"Don't say that Wendy. We underestimated the job. If we had known it was this bad, we would have prepared ourselves," Natsu's voice slashed through her attempted apology. They locked eyes before she could look away, and she nodded, dropping the conversation.

Glacia looked at the group, feeling not so out of place as she should have. She could see Happy and Carle joining their partners, but the silence that hung over them again was suffocating.

"Wendy's right. We should get out of here before he has a chance to come back," She glanced down at Wendy, but Natsu was next to her as she had finished. He took Wendy's hand, swinging her up onto his back. She looked tired enough just standing there. He gave Lucy a smile that seemed to just melt her heart.

"I'm glad to see you're alright Luce. You really had me worried…" He watched as she returned the smile, but it was hidden from his view as she looked away.

"You're not the only one who was," She stated as the first three started making their way towards the cave system, Wendy holding onto Natsu as they walked. Carle had come to rest on top of Wendy's head.

Erza and Gray had shared a small knowing look before starting after them. They had stayed silent until they realized something that was missing. Gray had first, looking back to see Glacia standing in the same spot.

"Glacia."

She wasn't looked at them, but rather, all around, at what had been her home for the past… however long she had been here… She had lived here before with her dragons… and when Void Amulet came, they turned the beautiful caverns into a maze of prison cells and other unspeakable rooms. Her home, turned into a prison, and she didn't belong here… She couldn't…

She wouldn't. Not anymore.

"Yo, Glacia."

This time she turned to face them. She had a determined set to her amethyst orbs, her small body set to run at them. But she stayed. His very next words could either be an invitation or a goodbye.

"You coming or what?"

There it was. The goodbye. She should have seen it coming from a mile away… Wait… She blinked rapidly, processing it again.

 _Holy Crap._

 _Did they really just invite her along?_

"Come on! You've met us! Now, we've got plenty of adventures to go on!"

A smile crept onto her features, and she nodded, letting her body run to catch up to them. She could have another home. She could belong somewhere again, and it wouldn't turn into a prison. Ever.

Together, the group exited the cave system, coming out to the valley and seeing the place barren. From the commotion, many had left, fled even, to get out of the vicinity and to avoid capture. But that was okay. They had taken out the dark guild. The others wouldn't get far once the Magic Council arrived.

* * *

They didn't wait for long. The magic council had gotten there as fast as they could, which was a lot faster than expected for being on Mt. Hokabe. The council wasn't letting them leave quite yet, seeing as Glacia refused to talk to them. She was their only inside source as to what was absolutely going on in there.

She wasn't going to talk until Wendy was better. She just barely trusted the others, but Wendy… She was different. She trusted Wendy way too much than a person should.

Maybe it was because they were the same age? They used the same magic? No, there was the other one… The hot headed fire ball... Whatever...

So, the council had set up a temporary camp, Natsu, Happy and Lucy staying here with Wendy, Carle and Glacia while Erza and Gray went to collect their reward.

They were all sitting in a tent that had been set up for them. On the top of Mount Hakobe. In the middle of spring. Which up here, meant still cold temperatures and a lot of snow.

"At least we didn't destroy an entire city," Lucy looked pointedly towards Natsu, but didn't go out of her way to make sure he noticed.

But he had.

"Oi, it was only a cave this time," Natsu waved a hand, dismissing her accusation.

"It was nearly an entire valley! We're lucky there wasn't an avalanche!" She groaned and put her head in her hands, but it was all jokingly.

"Lucy? Are you feeling better?" Wendy still had bandages around her waist and stomach, but that didn't stop her big heart from trying to help the others.

"Wendy, I'll be fine until we get to Magnolia. Please don't over exert yourself. You've already been through a lot these last few days," When they looked at it, that entire time had been two days. Not including the entire trek up the mountain in order to get here. That was at least another day.

"I'm sorry, Lucy… I just can't help it," She gave Lucy a sheepish grin. Glacia could see the turn of a smile start to form on Lucy's lips. Wendy really was something. She had turned Glacia from a cold hearted girl into one with a beating heart. No pun intended. She had never cared much about anyone, heck, she had barely cared that Lucy had shown up in that cell.

Not that Lacie would ever say that to her face.

Wendy seemed to fill something inside her. Maybe it was the place that her dragons had left empty.

Maybe that space had always been empty.

It was hard to tell.

When Wendy had shown up, her heart twisted in a way it only had with her dragons. She felt so bad about this. They probably wouldn't have gone through all this if she had just helped out Void Amulet.

Then again, she wouldn't be here.

"Lacie?" Wendy was looking at her expectantly. How long had Wendy been calling her name? By the looks from Natsu and Lucy, and the urgency in Wendy's voice, it seemed a few times.

"Hm?" She shook her head, coming out of her thoughts.

"Are you okay? You looked like you were spacing off," Wow, she had let that show on her face?

Yeah, she had.

"Oh, I'm good… Just thinking," She shifted herself on her cot, scooting back towards the soft spot in it.

"Your thinking face reminds me of Natsu's!" Happy burst out from behind Lucy, in which she and the second ball of white fur glared at him. Natsu did the same, but his rebuke was audible.

"Happy!" Natsu seemed surprised that Happy acted like that, but it was quickly shot down by Lucy.

"That's it! You two inconsiderate boys can follow me! We need to talk to the council anyway," She huffed and grabbed Happy by the scruff of his neck and Natsu's scarf, pulling them both out of the tent.

"Scary…." Both boys mumbled as they were dragged out, the flap of the tent closing behind them… Leaving Lacie and Wendy alone.

"Three months?" It was a little while before either of them talked, but Wendy broke the silence first.

"Yeah… I've been here for three months," Her face fell, and she didn't look at Wendy.

"Do you remember your dragon? Like, really remember them?" Wendy was always curious about other dragon slayers and what they remembered, seeing as she somehow remembered everything of her own.

"Yeah… They only left a few years ago… I've lived with the village since then," Her voice was quiet, but it didn't show any signs that it was wavering.

"Grandine, that was my dragon. She was really nice. She left when I was really young, but I still remember a lot of my time with her," Maybe by opening up herself, Lacie might open up a bit here.

"She seems really cool… My dragons were stubborn in teaching me, but they were really nice, in their own way," She saw a confused look on Wendy's face. Did she not have more than one dragon in her life? "I belonged to a nest of dragons. They all disappeared a few years ago, but I won't ever forget them. The two dragons that taught me were Glaceona, the ice dragon, and Snowdon, the snow dragon."

"Two dragons! And you learned both?" Wendy seemed genuinely impressed. Most people didn't learn a second magic, but knowing two types of dragon slaying without a lacrima implant was even harder by standards.

"They are very similar… at least it isn't two opposite things, like shadow and light," Wendy smiled at that, although, for a different reason than Lacie thought.

"I started really young… they're probably the reason I'm still here, seeing as some of their stubbornness rubbed off on me," She gave a nervous laugh, but could still remember it. She had first mastered the ice dragon slaying magic.

"Well, it's better to be stubborn than really naïve," Wendy knew that from personal experience. If it wasn't for some of her guildmates and their stubborn nature, she probably wouldn't be with them...

They sat in a little more silence. They acted like they had known each other for centuries.

"Excuse me?" Lucy was standing in the flap of the tent. "You ready to talk to the council yet, Lacie?"

Was she? Could she even talk to them about her horrible experience? Would she be able to not break down?

"I'll be right there beside you," Wendy whispered next to her, squeezing her hand.

"Okay… Yeah, I am."

"Then let's get this over with," She stood up, Wendy almost having to pull Lacie to the flap of the tent and going over to the council's tent.

* * *

It was a while later, but the council had gotten what they needed. They didn't pry into her past, except for the last three months and what she was even doing in the mountains in the first place. They left the tent, seeing everyone else already packing up tents.

"I can't wait to get back to Fairy Tail… You're gonna love it! You can stay with me at Fairy Hills!" Wendy was pulling Lacie along again.

"Really? I could find my own place, I don't want to be a burden," She was quickly shushed by a waving hand.

"Nonsense! I'd love to have a roommate!" Wendy smiled at Lacie, her own smile forming.

"Will you two hurry up! Erza and Gray are back and we all want to go home!" Lucy had a hand incoming for the back of Natsu's head. She hit it pretty hard, and he growled out a 'hey' and tackled her into the snow. Thankfully, she had some gear on.

"Yep!" Wendy shouted back to them, and turned back to Lacie.

"You ready to come to your new home?"

An entire look of confusion and sadness overtook her face, but only for a moment. She had only ever known this place as her home, and now she would have a new one.

Was she really ready?

With one glance back at her old home, she already knew that answer.

Yeah, she was.

"I'm ready!"

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _And there you have it! The E.N.D. as we know, the death to a perfect Shakespearean play, the end credits of the movie…_

 _I'm just messing with ya._

 _Well, kinda._

" _Bitter Cold" has come to an end, BUT I do plan to write a sequel over the summer! If I get enough feedback, that is… If people enjoyed this one as much as some of my friends did, then there will probably be a sequel._

 _I had so much fun writing this. I know the last few have been really short and delayed, but hey, this one is longer. Mostly because it was the end and I didn't know how to split it up._

 _Thank you for reading! Read, Review, Favorite, and all that jazz… I hope to see you next time with my other stories!_

 _ **Other Stories I plan to put up:**_

 _ **Thaw:** The sequel to this one! It will mostly be following Glacia and Wendy, and their growing relationship._

 _ **She had a Name:**_ _So, my friend got into writing as well and decided to post here. Yeah, her chapters are pretty short, but that's how we all start out when we're writing, right? I say go ahead and try to at least read the first chapter. It is a Supernatural Fic with an OC she made, but it is amazing. For those who try, at least._

 _ **Last Wish:**_ _I found a fic from my friend that he started writing and he never finished it. He gave me permission to try writing it as my own and see how it goes. It's basically a Nalu story with magic swap. Crazy, huh?_

 _ **Superhero Au:**_ _Still don't have a name for it, but it's basically the villain trying to be friends with the hero, ends up "Killing" them, and goes into a huge depression and tries to create another hero. It isn't a story that is for sure, but it's an idea I got from watching a movie. Let me know if you like the idea, and maybe give a name suggestion._

 _ **More One Shots:**_ _I tend to write a lot of these, but they are all based on little prompts I find in places or get from my friends or fellow writers. If you want me to write a one shot of any of the things on my profile, feel free to PM me! I'm always looking for prompts! And the story will be dedicated to you!_


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